I say this partly in jest, and partly as serious as a heart attack..................
Rochester needs a pure 'Rock Club' like Reggie's on Chicago's near south side, PERIOD! ~~~ DMC? yeah......DESTINATION METAL CLUB!

This past Thursday I embarked on a whirlwind road trip to Chicago to see Joe Lynn Turner, former front man for Rainbow and Deep Purple, and one of thee iconic voices in the world of rock n roll. Included in his band were lead guitarist Angus Clark of Trans Siberian Orchestra fame, along with drumming newcomer Jason Hartless (Ted Nugent).

Photo: 'Train Wreck' ~ Z-Rock Weekends - TSM Rochester, MN
Photo: 'Train Wreck' ~ Z-Rock Weekends - TSM Rochester, MN - back alley @ Reggie's
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As good as the show was to enjoy, so was the venue. Reggie's is at 2109 South State Street. Essentially, it is a 4 story brown stone brick building set at the base of elevated train tracks, and yes, every 30 minutes or so an 'El-Train' would come rumbling by. The back alley behind Reggie's had the appearance of a place you might want to traverse in a group.

Reggies2
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The building had a lot contained within it. It had a great dive-bar aesthetic and feel to it, along with a fully stocked vintage record store on the 2nd floor. I rode the elevator to that 2nd floor & third floor a couple of times. Arriving a few hours before 'doors' allowed me to checkout the site thoroughly. The main bar room on the first floor was separate from the main performance room & main stage, but did have a secondary smaller stage included that would eventually be used later that evening.

Photo: 'Train Wreck' ~ Z-Rock Weekends - TSM Rochester, MN
Photo: 'Train Wreck' ~ Z-Rock Weekends - TSM Rochester, MN -- I mean c'mon...how do you not get excited about this place?
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On the third floor was the rooftop watering hole, the 'Train Wreck' Rooftop Deck. The namesake was enough for me to investigate more for myself. When I visited, early 'Happy Hour' was already in progress. You had the occasional rumble of an 'El-Train' right outside the east windows, and on the south side access to the rooftop where I was able to snap some photo's and enjoy the view.

TRAINWRECKDECK3
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Throughout this building there was plenty of mural building artwork, like the actual train wreck art on the upper outside south exposure of the rooftop. Much more down at street-level, back alley, and within the bar room and main performance room as well.

 

QUESTION: Does Rochester, Minnesota need a REAL rock club like this? ANSWER: "It sure the hell does"!

Let's find an old brick building in Rochester, find a developer, and lets get this sh** DONE! If Rochester really wants to take itself seriously, it needs a balls-out ROCK CLUB to draw interest from many miles around. DMC? Yeah......DESTINATION METAL CLUB! \m/\m/

[More Photos]

Photo: 'Train Wreck' ~ Z-Rock Weekends - TSM Rochester, MN
Photo: 'Train Wreck' ~ Z-Rock Weekends - TSM Rochester, MN
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