The Minneapolis Music Collection

Tape measure giveaway from Duffy's (1979-1985. Accession No. 2002.173.1, Gift of Kimberly Moline). From The Minneapolis Music Collection at the Minnesota Historical Society. "...In the mid-1970s and early 1980s, the creative explosion in Minnesota's thriving black and white rock music scenes expanded the state's cultural identity far beyond the shores of Lake Wobegon. This era witnessed the worldwide emergence of new and synthesized styles of popular music. Black music, particularly funk, vibrantly reflected social conditions, building on James Brown's declaration of disassociation: 'Say It Loud—I'm Black and I'm Proud.' Similarly, white punk rock thunderously denounced the status quo. A number of Minnesota bands formed in those years signed recording contracts with major labels: Prince and The Time (with Warner Bros. in 1978 and 1981, respectively); The Suburbs (with Mercury/Polygram in 1983); The Replacements (Sire, 1985); Hüsker Dü (Warner Bros., 1986); and Soul Asylum (A&M, 1988)."