Report: Metal Fans Banging Their Heads Over Venue Closing

September 7, 2006

Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota's StarTribune.com reports that after one last, fast and furious hurrah, Star Central of Columbia Heights has closed its back-room concert hall, one of few venues in the Twin Cities metro area that catered to heavy metal head-bangers.

The bar, in a strip mall just off Central Avenue, most recently hosted the third annual Minneapolis Mayhem festival, then local favorites AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE gave the final farewell.

Star Central manager Ken Kautz said it just didn't pay to book local metal any longer.

"That room was shut down four or five days out of seven," he said. "The first two years it was fine. The last year it just petered out. No one was really supporting the scene."

Star Central will remain open, with a smaller stage, and Kautz said he will stick to booking cover bands.

"It's really a shame that it went down that way," said Earl Root, a local musician who hosts a metal show on KFAI Radio (90.3 and 106.7). "I said on the air last week ... 'Yep, another metal memory is actually born,' because I've seen a lot of them come and go in my time."

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