Lisa Goodman

Lisa Goodman

Conrad Sverkerson is a legendary figure at First Avenue. Conspicuous for his dreadlocks (although more recently sporting a Jewfro), the iconic rock club’s stage manager has spent more than two decades making sure shows go off without a hitch.

Now there’s a movement afoot (or at least one blog post) to land Sverkerson a job at another iconic Minneapolis locale: City Hall. The Minus Manhattan blog is encouraging voters to write in his name for the Ward Seven city council post currently held by Lisa Goodman.

The impetus for this campaign is the recent opening of Hennepin and First avenues to two-way traffic. The plan, which has been championed by Goodman, is supposed to spur business development along the downtown corridor. But First Avenue (the rock club) has complained that the new street design eliminates a critical area where bands (and beer trucks) load gear in and out of the venue. Now all the equipment will have to be lugged from a block away. Chris Riemenschneider deftly described the conundrum in the Star Tribune a couple of weeks ago.

A block might not sound like that far of a jaunt. But can you imagine lugging 10 cases of Summit beer, a $10,000 soundboard, a $15,000 case of guitars or the entire Wu-Tang Clan herbal supply that far through the snow and ice in February?

On top of that, the First Ave staff figures it will have to hire security workers to safeguard the equipment. Plus, it worries that touring bands might balk at the situation altogether and go somewhere else to perform.

But Goodman expressed zero sympathy for the downtown rock club. “Why should they get any preferential treatment?” she asked Riemenschneider.

Of course, to some the answer to that question is obvious: First Avenue is a cultural jewel that makes downtown Minneapolis a vibrant place worth visiting. Even if Sverkerson isn’t working the stage. Hooters and the Hard Rock Cafe can’t really make the same claim.

For more on the race: Ward Seven: Despite full campaign coffers, lawsuit clouds Goodman’s prospects