A Music Lover’s Guide to Minneapolis

Equal parts celebratory and somber, illuminating and enigmatic, Paisley Park is a must-stop museum for any music fan. A sprawling complex about 18 miles southwest of Minneapolis where Prince lived, recorded, performed, and, in 2016, died, Paisley Park is massive, appropriately eccentric estate in the woods of Chanhassen, MN. It includes numerous recording studios, a sound stage, a basketball court and Prince’s legendary Vault, where hours upon hours of unreleased music and video is stored. One of the first things you see upon entering is an urn with the culture-changing icon’s ashes, but make no mistake – Paisley Park vibrates with the life, music and colors (so many shades of purple) of Prince. Wandering around, you see everything from the superhuman — iconic outfits from music videos and concert tours, a seemingly endless supply of shoes and boots, specially designed guitars and pianos – to the everyday (the kitchen where he watched local sports). Otherworldly yet humanizing, Paisley Park is an example of what a living museum for a deceased legend should be. Website.

Aside from the aforementioned Paisley Park and the legendary First Avenue (more on that below in the ‘venues’ section), there are a few other spots for purple people to check out. The house where The Kid lived in the Purple Rain film is located at 3420 Snelling Ave. South (don’t be weird if you visit). The scene where Apollonia famously purifies herself in the waters of what is NOT Lake Minnetonka was shot near a town called Henderson, MN, at the bank of the Minnesota River; it’s about an hour’s drive from Minneapolis, and there’s a commemorative bench near the filming location. You could check out a show at the Armory, where Prince shot the “1999” music video, or the Capri Theatre, where Prince headlined his first solo show in the late ‘70s. But if you want to experience Minneapolis like he did, you grab some records at Electric Fetus then head over to the Dakota Jazz Club for a show. It’s no longer open, but the club he owned in the ‘90s, Glam Slam, was located at 110 North 5th St., and Sound 80 – where he recorded demos for his debut album, For You, is pretty close by. Neither of those places are photoshoot homeruns, but on Hennepin Ave. and 26th, there’s a massive mural of His Royal Badness that suitable for socials.

The cover art to The Replacements’ shambolic 1984 masterpiece Let It Be – a photograph of the band hanging out on a rooftop by Daniel Corrigan — is one of the most iconic images in indie rock. That house, 2215 Bryant Ave. S., was where the band’s Tommy and Bob Stinson grew up. Yes, it’s still there, and yes, it’s still lived in; no, you cannot climb up on the roof, or be an a—hole in any other capacity, but you can quietly swing by and pay your respects from a distance.

If you really want to do what the Replacements themselves would have done in Minneapolis, head to the CC Club, a storied dive bar on the corner of Lyndale Ave. and W 26th Ave. where the ‘Mats and members of Hüsker Dü and Soul Asylum would hang out back in the day. Directly across the corner from CC Club is Lucky Cat Records, an excellent record store with plenty of local music on the shelves and history in its foundations. Decades ago, that space was a record store called Oar Folkjokeopus, which was where Paul Westerberg handed a demo to Twin/Tone Records co-founder Peter Jesperson, kickstarting the Replacements’ rise. The band’s members continued to hang out there over the years (ping-ponging between Oar Folk and CC Club), and Tommy Stinson performed on Lucky Cat’s opening day in 2024. If you’re looking for a quieter moment, there’s a memorial plaque for the band’s late guitarist Bob Stinson on a bench off the Lake of the Isles.

Obsessives will likely head up north to visit Hibbing, MN, where Robert Zimmerman was born, but if you’re in Minneapolis, there are a few things to do. Sound 80 (on S 9th St.) is where Dylan famously re-recorded several songs for Blood on the Tracks, including the LP versions of “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Idiot Wind.” Dylan lived in a Dinkytown apartment above a long-defunct drugstore at 327 14th Ave. SE during his aborted college stint, and he used to perform at a nearby coffeehouse called Ten O’Clock Scholar – it was razed years ago (things have changed), but you can stroll past where it was on 14th Ave. between 4th and 5th. Speaking of 4th, a lot of scholars think that’s the street that inspired his diss track “Positively 4th Street.” Otherwise, you can check out the Orpheum Theatre, which he owned from 1979 to 1988, or take a spin down Highway 61 – but you have to bring your own siren whistle.

Even without the Prince of it all, First Avenue – which served as training grounds for many a regional act – is still the most iconic venue in the Twin Cities. But the fact that it served as HQ for Prince’s 1984 film Purple Rain (heck, it’s practically a character in the film) means its place in rock history is secure. The Mainroom, which fits about 1500, is an incredible place to see live music, both in terms of sight lines and sound quality; clubs this size can often be claustrophobic, but it always feels like you can move around First Ave easily enough. Unlike a lot of music venues, it’s a genuinely fun place to hang, and on DJ nights, it’s a surefire dance party.

7th St Entry is a smaller venue within the venue, a 250-cap room that houses no-frills, messier shows. The Entry is where the Replacements used to tear things up back in the day, and where Hüsker Dü recorded their first album, the live LP Land Speed Record. Many a rock band is keeping that spirit alive at the Entry today. Website.

A massive, enclosed stadium in downtown Minneapolis, this venue – which caps at about 72,000 – has housed everyone from Metallica to Taylor Swift to Ed Sheeran to the Kendrick Lamar and SZA tour kickoff. Floor seat views are knockout and the sound is top-notch, but if you’re in the highest of the nosebleeds, the audio gets a bit muddier. Traffic after a huge concert does not move quickly, so you might consider the Metro Green Line, which goes directly there. The closer you move toward the North Loop from the venue, the more restaurants and bars are on hand for a pre-show bite. Website.

The central Minneapolis sports center has the feeling of a cozy arena (even with a 20,000-person capacity for concerts). Minnesota legends Prince and Bob Dylan both played there over the years, and more recently, it’s housed blink-182 and Charli xcx. Parking is available in the vicinity, though you’ll pay for it. If you’re getting dropped off or picked up around Target Center, traffic usually isn’t quite as painful as it is around U.S. Bank Stadium after a concert; public transportation is available, too. If you’re looking for nearly eats, Graze Food Hall in the North Loop is a lively two-level complex with an open-air balcony, two bars and several food counters serving everything from pizza to burgers to tacos to salads. Website.

In St. Paul, there’s the 20,000 capacity Xcel Energy Center. As a music venue, Xcel has housed everyone from Prince to Paul McCartney, and unlike downtown Minneapolis, parking is a tad cheaper and traffic a bit easier (though after a huge show, it’s not gonna be moving fast). If you’re looking for somewhere to eat beforehand, it’s hard to beat Cossetta’s, an Italian cafeteria court that’s walking distance from the venue. Website.

Prince’s go-to record store prior to his passing, Electric Fetus is the most iconic record shop in Minnesota. It began gestating as a counterculture hang in 1968, relocating to its current location (off 35W) in 1972. A spacious spot for seasoned collectors to hunt down rare titles and neophytes to start pulling together a physical music collection, Electric Fetus has a massive selection of new and used vinyl and CDs (plus DVDs). There is a ton of rock, pop, jazz, metal, hip-hop, soul, electronic, folk, country and beyond – plus a spotlight on K-pop collectibles, signed records and oddities. The prices are good, the staff is knowledgeable and there’s plenty of Prince merch to go crazy for. Good vibes all around. Website.

With roomy storefronts in Minneapolis and St. Paul (as well as Blaine, MN), Cheapo stocks used and new CDs and vinyl (plus plenty of t-shirts, DVDs and more). If you’re looking for a new release, they probably have it – and when it comes to gently used CDs and vinyl, it’s hard to beat Cheapo, particularly when it comes to prices (the store lives up to its name). Rock/pop fills up most of the shelves, but there’s still more soul, R&B, blues, jazz, country, disco, classical, metal, punk, comedy and soundtrack albums at Cheapo than you’ll find at most other joints. Whether you’re a longtime crate digger or looking to start a physical music collection without going broke, this is the spot to go. Website.

Around the corner from the aforementioned Lucky Cat Records is Disco Death, an excellent spot for coffee slurping and record shopping; Extreme Noise Records is a co-op run by volunteers that specializes in punk (and punk adjacent) titles; Hymie’s is an institution with an eclectic stock where time seems to slip away; The Record Spot is a tiny spot with great titles and plenty of deals; Roadrunner Records has an impressive selection of new wave, indie, soul and disco vinyl; and Know Name Records is a good spot to hang and pick up a used CD or LP on the cheap. If you’re down to take a little drive outside of Minneapolis to Golden Valley, MN, Down in the Valley is a massive record store with an excellent selection, as well as turntables and record cleaning supplies – a Minnesota favorite since 1972.

Across the Mississippi River, Agharta Records is a crate-digger’s dream, with used first-pressing vinyl at appropriate prices and plenty of cheap buried treasure to go hunting for. It’s walking distance from Barely Brothers Records, which is another vinyl-centric store you could lose yourself in for hours. Urban Lights Music is one of the few Black-owned record stores in America, and if you’re a fan of hip-hop, R&B, soul or funk, you owe it to yourself to stop by and check out its huge selection. In downtown St. Paul, Eclipse Records has an excellently curated selection and a ton of rarities at great prices. If you need a java jolt, Caydence Records & Coffee is a great spot to chill, sip a latte and pick up a new or used title.

A newcomer on the festival scene, Minnesota Yacht Club debuted in 2024 with headliners Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The two-day festival takes place on St. Paul’s Harriet Island, a gorgeous park along the Mississippi River. In its second year, it expands to three days, with Hozier, Alabama Shakes, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, Green Day and Sublime playing July 18-20. Website.

Depending on the age of who you ask, Taste of Minnesota is either a bright new addition to the Twin Cities festival scene or a decades-old mainstay. While the 2025 edition of the festival – which brings Joan Jett, Cheap Trick and Ludacris to downtown Minneapolis July 5-6 – is the third consecutive years it’s taken place in Minneapolis, Taste of Minnesota actually began in St. Paul back in 1983. Back then, it was a free festival of music and food that took place on the lawn of the State Capitol of all places (this was pre-9/11). It grew into an essential part of St. Paul Independence Day celebrations until it hit a rough patch in the ‘00s. After some shakeups and location switches, it went on an eight-year hiatus until it made a triumphant return as a free festival in Minneapolis in 2023. Website.

The weekend-long jazz festival takes over downtown St. Paul’s Mears Park – a scenic, quaint square-shaped park with a little creek running through it – each summer since 1999, bringing jazz luminaries such as Branford Marsalis, Bill Evans, Mose Allison, Dave Brubeck, Esperanza Spalding and more to downtown St. Paul. While the main stage is in the outdoors park, some of the performances take place in nearby venues and bars; the musical styles present and accounted for each year run the gamut, but the quality of the musicianship is uniformly strong. Website.

If you’re willing to travel a bit outside of the Twin Cities, you might check out Winstock, which goes down in Winsted, MN, a small town that’s about a one-hour drive west of Minneapolis. It started out as a parochial school fundraiser in the ‘90s and has grown into a sizable country music festival that’s attracted everyone from Willie Nelson to Toby Keith to Luke Combs to Miranda Lambert over the years, with Thomas Rhett and Jordan Davis headlining the 2025 edition on June 20-21. Website.

Not a festival per se, but we’d be remiss not to mention the annual Minnesota State Fair, which takes place in St. Paul and is the second-largest state fair in America (behind Texas). The Grandstand, an outdoor venue with a 17,000-capacity, has attracted everyone from Aretha Franklin to Sonic Youth, Def Leppard to Neil Young to Chance the Rapper over the decades. And we do mean decades — while it’s undergone many a renovation and expansion, the Grandstand, incredibly enough, dates back to 1909. The Grandstand shows are ticketed (prices are usually reasonable) but the Minnesota State Fair also offers up free (free after fairground admission, that is) live music most every night, bringing smaller but recognizable names to more intimate fairground stages. The Leinie Lodge Bandshell Stage is a delightful spot to kick back with a deep-fried something-or-other and soak up some tunes. Website.

The traveling electronic music festival hits the Allianz Field Festival Grounds in St. Paul on June 6-7 with Tiësto, Alison Wonderland and John Summit headlining. Website.