From Beyoncé to Taylor Swift, how does Minnesota pull in the biggest musical acts?
MINNEAPOLIS – You don't have to go far to hear most of the artists you saw Sunday night on the Grammy Awards.
Whether it's Beyoncé, George Strait, or the Rolling Stones, the Twin Cities get the big shows. And they're greeted with big enthusiasm because Minnesotans love their melodies.
Legendary Minneapolis record shop Electric Fetus is a store that legends themselves have frequented.
"Prince was a regular shopper, Joe Walsh, Sting, Shaggy," said store owner Keith Covart.
Ringo Starr even repped the store at the 2009 Grammy's. While there's a shared love of records at this famous shop, there's another preferred way to consume music, too.
"You can listen to the artist's music on your computer, but you go to the concert for an experience," Covart said.
Music lover Ann Dunne makes it her job to make sure other music lovers in Minnesota get to see their favorite acts. As assistant general manager at U.S. Bank Stadium, she books the concerts. Dunne says the process starts with the artist and their managers who decide to tour, then go to a promoter who will then go to her – or she will pitch to them.
Dunne explains how the stadium landed Eric Church for his sold-out show back in June.
"We went to their artist management and their promoter and said, 'Hey, we would love to have this very special show here at U.S. Bank Stadium.' And they were like, 'Yeah, let's do it,'" Dunne said.
The amount they can sell depends on what venue they choose. An arena like Xcel Energy or the Target Center may sell about 20,000. A stadium can sell up to 70,000, like the Garth Brooks shows.
Speaking of big sellers, just how did Dunne and crew get Taylor Swift to commit to two shows in Minneapolis?
"We have a really strong relationship with her promotor, and this is one of her favorite places to play," she said. " We always had a first night, and when the demand was there, we were asked if we had availability for a second night, and we said, 'Of course we do [laughs]!'"
And that's the hope – that artists will want to return. That's why venues make elaborate Minnesota welcomes; like an artist-created poster for Beyoncé that ties her music to the Twin Cities; a welcome wall created for Kenny Chesney that was an ode to his oceanside lifestyle; and a wall made for the Rolling Stones that featured photos from all of their Minnesota shows. It was a gesture the legendary rockers praised on Instagram.
"They really kind of love that little extra touch that we give them to welcome here," Dunne said.
So in the end, it's all about showing them that Minnesota really is nice.
As for ticket prices, the artist's team determines the price. Often, if it's a bigger-name act, the ticket price will be higher.
