Billy Joel’s Piano Man was inspired by playing at a bar in Los Angeles. Two classic piano bars from that era, Nye’s Polonaise Room in Minneapolis and The Red Fox Room in San Diego continue to thrive after more than fifty years in business.
Category Archives: Minnesota
Comic Books
The first comic books were just collections of the cartoons from the Sunday funny pages. The 1930s saw the origins of superheroes and then crime, horror and romance that contained explicit sex and violence until the Comics Code forced a move to mostly kiddie comics in the 1950s.
Pancakes
The first pancake mix in a box was made by Pearl Milling Company, but soon other
companies would follow such as Pillsbury and General Mills, which came out with the multipurpose Bisquick in 1931.
We Didn’t Quite Catch That
In 1988, Pussy Galore released a tape covering the entire Exile on Main Street. Not long after that, the Minneapolis trio Zuzu’s Petals performed their own cover of a Stones song at the 400 Bar.
The Wedding
The building for the old Minnesota Club is now occupied by a restaurant dedicated to Herb Brooks. The St. Paul Athletic Club building now hosts wedding receptions and special events, and guests can stay in its boutique hotel.
Paul Mason Fotsch 