The Music Bar was located at 408 Cedar Ave. on the West Bank.

THE BUILDING

Minneapolis permits cards show work on 404 – 410 Cedar Ave.   408 was seldom specified by itself.

In September 1884 a 44′ by 90′ brick store with apartments above was built at a cost of $10,000.

A 25′ by 38′  additional brick store was built in 1909.

In 1911 a 50′ by 100′ brick store and theater was built for $6,000.

Uses of the building ran the gamut from barber shop, hat shop, theater, pool room, dry goods store, and in the 1920s it held the Enger Brothers Funeral Home.  In 1920 the theater and pool room was converted into what became the Riverside Station Post Office.  In 1935 there was a bank noted on the card.

 

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ADOLPH’S BAR

In January 1934, Adolph G. Wall was granted a liquor license and all other necessary licenses to operate Adolph’s Bar at 408 Cedar Ave.

In August 1940, the City Council went on record that they would reject any application for a liquor license for 408 Cedar submitted by Coleman McDonough, because when McDonough made the application he was accompanied by Cliff Skelly.  Skelly had been convicted in the Urschel kidnapping case and it was clear that he was going to be the boss, noted Alderman Kauth.  (Minneapolis Star, August 30, 1940)

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CEDAR AVENUE BAR AND LIQUOR STORE (408-410 CEDAR)

On January 15, 1946, a fire broke out that destroyed $40,000 of stock and sent two firemen to General Hospital with smoke inhalation.  The fire was confined to the basement, and the damage was mostly to liquor bottles that had their labels and tax stamps washed off.  Bob Henderson was listed in the news report as the manager.  (Minneapolis Tribune, January 16, 1946)

Vincent J. Fabel, proprietor of the Cedar Avenue Bar, was arrested for selling liquor after hours on Sunday, May 25, 1947.  He lost all of his licenses on June 27, 1947.  Anthony B. Cassius applied for Fabel’s license for his place at 207 Third Street S.  Cassius was blocked for several months by the City Council, but was finally approved on December 31, 1948, making him the first black bar owner to hold an on-sale liquor license in the City of Minneapolis.

Meanwhile, 408 Cedar had stood empty since June 27, 1947.

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THE MUSIC BAR

On September 6, 1949, Louis D. Berenson applied to transfer the liquor license belonging to the Music Box Bar to 408 Cedar.  The Music Box Bar, 246 Nicollet Ave., had burned to the ground on December 25, 1948.  The liquor license belonged to Berenson’s uncle, Henry Berenson, who sold them to his nephew.   The transfer was approved on October 1, 1949.  Berenson also applied for a dance hall license, which the bar had not had before.

The first ad for the Music Bar was in February 1950, calling it Minneapolis’s newest.

 

The bar was advertised in the Minnesota Daily in 1952 (King Larry and His Jazz Combo)

In November 1952 the liquor license was transferred from Oscar Pearson, a salesman for Hamm Brewing Co., to Billy Miske, Jr.  Miske’s father was a well-known heavyweight boxer.

The Minnesota Daily advertised Billy Miske’s Excellent Band in 1954.

 

In June 1954, the liquor license was transferred from Miske to Patrick J. Dooley.

Jan North played in an all-girls’ band called the Irene Brown Trio in 1955.

Nate Wexler, a musical comedian, performed at the Music Bar in June 1958.

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Country Acts began to be advertised in 1961:

The Rainbow Valley Trio, August 1961

 

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Duane Carter and the Ramblers, September and October, 1961

 

 

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