- Become a Member
- Join Now
- Sustaining Members
- Member Benefits
- Match Your Contribution
- FAQ
- Existing Members
- Member Discounts
- Member Benefits
- Change of Address
- Tax Information
- Newsletters
- /
- Podcasts
- /
- RSS Feeds
- /
- Mobile
Last Call at the Uptown: The Neighborhood Bar
Posted at 2:08 PM on October 29, 2009
by Michael Wells
(9 Comments)
Filed under: Last Call at the Uptown
November 1, 2009 marks the end of a musical era as the Minneapolis landmark The Uptown closes its doors at its current location. The Current gathered some of our favorite Uptown denizens to talk about the significance of the place in our documentary "Last Call at the Uptown."
The Neighborhood Bar
In this segment we take a look at what made the Uptown such a great neighborhood hang-out; from the people, the great (and sometimes not so great) food, and the place.
What do you think made the place such a great neighborhood hang?
Comments (9)
I lived in the Twin Cities in the mid-90s, and the Uptown was a regular place I would hang at. I will miss it dearly and will have many great memories of everything about that place. I always had it on my mental list of places to re-visit whenever I took a trip back there to visit family but always seemed to forget to but would promise to myself to do it next time. It will be a great regret of mine that I never got a chance to hang there again.
I have many memories of the Uptown, but thinking of it as a neighborhood bar sparks a memory from the early 1990s. I was there with several friends, including someone who had just moved to Minneapolis from rural Wisconsin. When she ordered a "wine cooler" the bartender asked what suburb we were from. We were MORTIFIED that he thought we were suburbanites rather than regulars! I think he would have kicked us out if she had ordered a Zima!!
I lived above Morris and Christy for about 6 years, so the Uptown was where I went to feel at home. It was the bar I could go to alone, there are not many places a women could do that.
I was walking home one night and Rod saw me in the alley and walked me home to keep me safe. I have always felt that the bar was a place to go that you were taken care of like you were family.
I had a first date at the uptown, Halloween 2003, and three years later we married and have a lovely daughter. Really I credit the uptown to so much of my past and present history. I grew up going to see music there. Then I left the state for 10 years, came back and felt like I was back where I belonged, at the Uptown bar.
I haven't lived in Uptown for the last 4 years but when ever I go there I stop in to the bar and the same people greet me with a warm, remembering smile... I will miss you all. Kris
A group of us use to hang at the Uptown on Wednessdy nights for Widmer Wednesday, Wicked Wednesday and eventually Summit Wednesdays. There would be raffles and cheap beers and our favorite waiter Tad. Who (as we all know) eventually moved on as bassist for Lifter Puller. We went stopped going shortly after that but went back last week for a Wednesday reunion, had a toast from the Wednesday crew and Mgr Dennis remembered us and bought us a round. We will miss you much - may you rise again.
I started hanging out regularly at the Uptown in 1995 for Wednesday night drawings with our college crew as well as to see local bands play on weekend nights. I only lived three blocks away, stumbling distance!
I wound up getting a job there as the weekend day hostess in 1999 and loved it so much I stayed until 2004. I have so many memories of the staff with whom I worked, pink socks, cigars, break-aways, bawdy jokes, the sarcasm, the stage, Uptown pint glasses, pouring grenadine into the ice when a glass broke in it, seating the patio.
And the regulars who would come for an Uptown skillet breakfast and a bloody (or two or three) on Saturdays and Sundays - the "Group 'o Guys," "The Monkey Boys"...Tom, Paul, & Travis & sometimes Danielle, "the Salty Dog - Patricia." It was a great family of people from every walk of life, sharing food and drink. I'm glad to have been a part of the life of the "original" Uptown Bar. And thanks for all the life lessons.
Great video interviews! Everyone really captured the essence of the Uptown. I owe Maggie and everyone my sincerest gratitude for changing who I am for the better. I have a couple great memories to add. Victoria, American Music Club, Molly Conrad, and thanks for not kicking me out when I was totally broke and only ordering water.
After moving to NYC, and finding out that they have no idea how to make a bloody mary, the Uptown held even more significance for us...we started a new tradition whenever we came back to MN we headed to the Uptown for bloodys and breakfast. Very sad to know I will never have a good bloody again. The Uptown...you will be missed!
My heart absolutely sinks at the thought that the Uptown is closed. Words can't explain. I feel that it was the "soul" of the uptown area. I remember going in one afternoon & getting into a conversation with the bartender & a couple of other folks just sitting at the bar by themselves as well. We had never met but the bartender saw that I had just picked up a Melvins CD - 4 of us discussed music for several beers & the fact is that you could do that any time - just walk in to the place at any time & strike up a converstation with some of the coolest people you would ever meet. I loved the surprise element of hearing a new band that would blow my socks off or make me laugh. Likehell did both. I could go on forever about the good times had. I will miss this place and genuinely hope they can somehow recreate what they were able to create there for so many years.
Oh I am so deeply saddened to hear of the Uptown closing!! I lived in Uptown for years...and a group of us made that our regular spot for sat/sun brunch for the best breakfast & bloodies anywhere! I was also friends with the band "Helva" back when they were together...and made it to probably every show they had on that stage, not to mention a slew of other bands! The Uptown was easily one of my favorite places in Minneapolis. I am so sad to see it go! Feels like the loss of an era!! I have a plethora of amazing memories from that place to hold dear. I hope they are someday able to recreate the icon.
| October 2009 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Master Archive
- Honey-do: Power Pop tunes
- Random Vinyl 11/16-11/20
- Friday Coffee Break: Viernes No Ingles!
- Today In Music History: He Wrote The Religious Song That Wasn't
- The Chart Show Top 20 11-19-09
- Thursday Coffee Break: Second At The Mic
- Today In Music History: The Original Blue Suede Shoes
- New Music Added To The Current This Week!
- Theft of the Dial : FELT (with audio)
- Fresh Eye on the Radio
- Become a Member
- Leadership Circle
- Sustaining Members
- Member Discounts
- Become a Sponsor
- Tax Information
- Planned Giving
- Fundraising Credentials
- Vehicle Donation
- Donate Stock