Soul Asylum – 7th St Entry – Minneapolis MN – March 21st 2025

Soul Asylum with Mighty Mofos and Arcwelder – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN  March 21st, 2025

Review by Kate Klaus

A series of special concerts to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the opening of The 7th Street Entry, First Avenue’s kid-sister venue kicked off Friday night with a sold out show featuring Minnesota rockers Soul Asylum along with Mighty Mofos and Arcwelder, bands that helped shape the life of 7th Street Entry after its opening in 1980.  

Punk rockers Arcwelder started off the night full with a blast of raw, driving energy that made them an underground staple of the ’90s post-hardcore and noise rock scenes. Brothers Bill and Rob Graber were full of energy, swapping vocal duties and even instruments, adding a dynamic edge to their performance.  Scott Macdonald was all smiles behind the kit, clearly enjoying the return to the iconic venue, and his drumming pounded through the small club with his strong vocals cutting through.  Despite their no-frills stage presence, their intensity and musicianship more than compensated, making the show a throwback full-throttle sonic experience.

The Mighty Mofos stepped up next, matching that roaring drive and punk rock rawness.  Led by Ernie Batson, they delivered unfiltered garage punk energy to the absolutely packed room.  Their set was dynamically chaotic, tearing through songs with a reckless abandon that somehow remained tight and electrifying. Their performance was fitting of a show meant to transport the crowd back to the heyday of 90s garage punk shows, with the sheer intense volume and energy making it  feel like a raucous, beer-soaked punk party. And while they may not be young punks anymore, their attitude and ferocity on stage rivaled bands half their age. 

Soul Asylum, Minnesota’s own multi-platinum stars who had their start in the early 80s with shows at the 7th Street Entry, closed the night with a mix of heartfelt nostalgia and high-energy rock, including a special guest performance from Curtiss A, who christened the venue on its opening night, March 21, 1980. Frontman Dave Pirner, with his raspy, impassioned vocals and scruffy charisma led the elated crowd through a set full of rarely played classics and a journey through their musical history, connecting the band and the crowd with both the meaning of the venue’s special celebration.  The packed crowd of dedicated fans who were there were treated to rarely played songs such as “Sometime to Return,” “Freaks,” “Tied to the Tracks”, and “Spinnin’.” He reached even further back into the catalogue to perform “Black and Blue” and “Sick of That Song,” both from the band’s 1984 debut album, which were a rare treat not played in decades for the lucky fans in attendance.  Along with guitarist Ryan Smith, bassist Jeremy Tappero, and former Prince drummer Michael Bland, they captivated the crowd with a nostalgic journey through both these old and rarely played classics and tracks of their newest album, “Slowly But Shirley”, including “Sucker Maker”, and “Freeloader”.  The way this performance, just a straight-up, earnest rock ‘n’ roll show, played with grit and passion and nostalgia, connected their musical roots to their progression as artists and was a perfect way to celebrate the anniversary of the 7th Street Entry and its undeniable impression on the Minnesota music scene and development of artists who rose to worldwide fame.