Secrets of the City

ranty is punkrox?!

Well my record-player broke so I couldn’t spend the evening listing to Barry Manilow…

I went to a party there in 2002. I thought the party was affiliated with some MCAD kids. I’m not sure if it was a graduation party or just an end of the school year party. It was an awesome time and lots of dancing. I went to pursue one boy but met my current boyfriend instead. I heard that some MCAD students lived there or used it as studio space or something? not sure.

This is the most subtantial tidbit I’ve found so far on the internet about the place. Interestingly, it seems to indicate that Friday was the Church’s last stand, yet I was there on Saturday.

Mysterious, mysterious.

Looks like it was acquired by Children’s Health Care, back in 2005, for $1.1 million.

I’ve only been there once, for a show last winter. It seemed like a good after-hours (or under-21) destination, but I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to return.

Now I’m confused. When I looked it up I got this instead. Did I make a mistake in my search?

Also, can you imagine Children’s Hospital allowing these parties to go on during their ownership? Talk about a liability nightmare… the church is a freaking tinderbox with heaving floors, damaged stairs, and exposed wiring. Great place to let a bunch of drunk/stoned kids rock it out to the wee hours, eh?

i’ve seen a buncha shows there. Various punk bands, Tulip Sweet, Competitor, King of France, always a good time and a cool venue.

Mike, the legal description in your link refers lots 4-7 and portion of 3. The one in mine refers to 8 and 9. I think yours describes the fenced-in corner to the east of the church. (Also the church was definitely not constructed in 1968.)

You’re right, Ranty. I didn’t see that picture-overlay function when I was poking through the first time, so I was working from memory.

While poking around on the interweb, I found this article on development in the area.

Man, I miss late-night parties at The Church. So great. It’s like the last vestiges of a legit underground culture there. Craziest acts on stage (ones that defied pop so much they never were going to play anywhere beyond the Triple Rock on a Tuesday). I met many aloof, torn-fishnet girls there at 3 am.

Hey, good sleuth work. I knew about the hospital plan and fracas that had ensued with some homeowners, but I had not seen this particular article, in which a couple of my questions are handily answered:

… “Susan Lynn, an artist who rents one of the seven studio spaces at the former Methodist Episcopal church on East 26th Street nearby, isn’t so sure Children’s is done buying up properties. “They’ve said that before,” Lynn notes. In January, the hospital purchased two homes on Columbus after Kratz vowed at a September meeting that the rest of that street’s properties were of no interest to the hospital. “It feels like we’re having the rug pulled out from under us.” Since the late 1990s, the church’s sanctuary performance hall has been hosting nationally recognized experimental noise-rock shows. Children’s had previously expressed interest in the 97-year-old property, but has since backed off.” …

(Inserted for the benefit of those who are too lazy to click on links, like I usually am.)

nationally recognized experimental noise-rock shows.

m-kay.

Ranty, I spent about 15 minutes trying to figure out the history of that church, and have come up empty. I may swing by there one of these days, if only to be sure that it really was a Methodist Episcopal Church. I don’t know much about that denomination, but they don’t seem to have much of a web presence these days….

For whatever it’s worth, a bit more information is here (including reference to a book project).

Best memory of the couple shows I saw there – Christmas party with Santa in effigy on the cross and a laser with mirrors creating a pentagram. Rock out!

Has housed artsy/weridy types for years (since the late 60’s someone told me).

Interestingly, it seems to indicate that Friday was the Church’s last stand, yet I was there on Saturday.

No it doesn’t: “Saturday is the last show, with Skoal Kodiak, Noise Queen Ant…” etc.

But you’re right, Ranty, that the property is at 724 E. 26th St., not the one linked by Mike S.

Okay, in re-inspecting I see that I was focused on a quote in your quote which I subsequently quoted, and… uh… aw hell, it’s late and I’m confused.

But I’m glad you joined the comment fray, Pete. It sounds like you’re pretty familiar with the church. Got any interesting stories or info to share? Also, do you know of this guy who seems to be writing about about the place?

Um, that is to say, writing a book about the place.

I am clearly still feeling the sleep deficit from my lone church experience.

I don’t know the guy writing the book, but I’d love to read it. I’ll post some photos at my blog soon, and a brief item should appear online at City Pages tomorrow…

I’m sure shows went back to the ’60s, but I couldn’t find anyone who’d been to one, so I stuck with my own experience and the current tenants’ memories, which was that shows started in ‘91 (and picked up a LOT after 2001).

Rex, have you told Melissa?

One of my favorite memories was showing up at a weird dance party circa 2002 dressed up in a suit with Shellie and Nicole all glammed-out, two blond bombshells in a room full of black hair. That’s the thing about that place, though, is that you could show up looking absolutely any way and nobody would blink because everything and anything came through that door.

Melissa!

Yeah, one of my earliest memories of hanging out with her was actually at The Church. (First actual memory: one of the infamous Peter Scholtes / Simon Peter Groebner Halloween parties.) She called me and said, “I’m at The Church,” so I hustled down there. Drunk, meandering through that dusty cavern, I finally found her at 3 in the morning.

(BTW, I don’t think anyone linked to it here, so for anyone who’s randomly reading this thread: Melissa is now Sr. Editor at Rolling Stone. Yeah!)

p.s. I think there’s a Melodious Owl song about The Church, which I talked about here.

Another great thing about The Church, as illustrated by this post: no one ever knew who owned it. Events just seemed to just inexplicably happen there.

City Pages piece on the show. I’ve since found out the concert went until something like 5:30 a.m., and somehow involved everyone getting soaked.

Some photos

Awesome photos. Especially the lady with the baby… now that’s what I call daring.

Final tidbit – I spent a couple of hours at the Hennepin Historical Museum looking at old house info yesterday. While there, I peeked into a 1950 Minneapolis directory just for fun. According to the listing I found there, it seems our church was called “Olivet.”

(I’ve heard of churches being called Mount Olivet before, but never simply Olivet. Nevertheless, that’s what it said in the dusty old book.)

I am responsible for putting together the weird/experimental shows during the phase of the church from 2001-2003, I can give you plenty of information. Ask away at sonitus7 @ hotmail.com.

here photos of the final night of the church.