You have to appreciate how the rock ‘n’ roll landmark at Seventh and First has witnessed a total transformation of its surroundings–Target Center, cheesy nightclubs, Block E, the freaking Hard Rock Cafe–while keeping the wrecking ball off its own hallowed but scummy walls. For a few weeks last year, it even looked as if First Avenue had hosted its final show. But it wasn’t going to go down so easily. Now the club is celebrating its thirty-fifth year of business with its first compilation CD of live cuts. So many indelible moments in music history have occurred at First Avenue that this collection barely scratches the surface, but the range of tracks by local heroes (the Suburbs, Husker Du, Trip Shakespeare, the Jayhawks, the Replacements) and visiting dignitaries (Jay Farrar, Ween, Patti Smith, Richard Thompson) remind us how lucky we are to live in such a great rock city.
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