This summer on the MinneCulture Podcast, it's all about Minnesota History. As we kick-off Season 5 during Pride month, we celebrate one of the first well-known venues in the Twin Cities exuberantly claimed by gay men, a nightclub called The Gay 90s in downtown Minneapolis.

The Gay 90’s hasn’t always been gay. The bar began as a supper club for a straight crowd. It opened in the 1950s and the name was a reference to an earlier decade, the 1890s.

Then, in 1975, the vibe changed in a big way. The owners of the Gay 90s bought a disco ball, hired DJs, and turned the 90s into a club catering to gay men. 

In this episode, we share an original KFAI documentary, “Fly Robin Fly: The Story of that Disco-Crazed Moment when the Gay 90s Came Out of the Closet and Embraced Its Name,” by KFAI's Todd Melby. You'll hear a history of the bar featuring some of the people who worked, danced and connected at the Gay 90s. 

Theme music by Xavier Santiago. Other music by J. Melby. Even more music supplied by the Blue Dot Sessions on the Free Music Archive. 

Thanks to the Tretter Collection at the University of Minnesota for photography and oral history audio. 

Support for the MinneCulture Podcast on KFAI comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultual Heritage Fund.

Ep. 28: When the Gay 90's Came Out

COVID-19 vaccine clinics have popped up well beyond the confines of hospitals and traditional healthcare providers. So far, Minnesotans have gotten their vaccine in parking lots, airport terminals, retrofitted buses and now barbershops. KFAI's Ryan Dawes shares how one barbershop in North Minneapols is helping improve our state's COVID-19 vaccination rate.

Wilson’s Image Offers a Dose With a Haircut

Talk To Me Nice - November 2021

3 Hours of all Latine music to start of this special day with Miguel Vargas.

Pérez Prado "Tequila (remastered)"
Daniel Viglietti "Comienzo el Día"
Juan Gabriel "Yo Te Perdono"
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77 "Asa Branca"
Traffic Sound "Yellow Sea Days"
Shakira "Sombra de Ti"
Bad Bunny "Otro Atardecer"
Luna Luna "Feel it Now"
WELOVEÜCAM "They Know"
Sam Castillo "Tranquilo"
Kenny Dope "The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind) - Radio Edit"
Yambu "Sunny"
Joe Bataan "Shaft"
Cheo "No Quiero Ser Tu Amigo"
Tita "Mundo Cruel (feat. Katzù Oso)"
Empress Of "Kept Up"
Lua;Deorro "Si Tú No Estás Aquí"
Helado Negro "Aureole"
Alfonso Lovo "Tropical Jazz"
João Donato "Doce de Amora"
Tom Misch "Parabéns"
The Garifuna Collective "Ideruni (Help)"
Toke D Keda "Lamento Boliviano"
Vieux Farka Touré "Savanne"
Wganda Kenya "Pim Pom"
Daniel Villarreal "Uncanny"
Mirtha Medina "El Camaleon"
Chicarica "la noche de ayer"

0000 - Comencemos El Dia

From its roots serving hot meals to those with HIV in the 1980s to its present-day comprehensive offering of social services, the Aliveness Project has expanded its 'person-centered-first' approach throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.  Matthew Hoppe and Dylan Boyer from the Aliveness Project spoke with KFAI's Ryan Dawes in this audio portrait.

Expansive, Yet Individualized, The Aliveness Project Strives to Serve

Thursday, June 26, 2025. Pride on KFAI—featuring an immersive 24 hours of continuous programming produced and delivered by Minnesota’s LGBTQIA2S+ community.

Midnight: with Kenna Cottman
2:00 AM: Sleep Sessions with DejaJoelle
3:00 AM: Pulse of Pride vol.1 with Ellie Zimmerman
4:00 AM: Noise & Nice Things: Queers in Experimental Music w/Nora
5:00 AM: Pulse of Pride vol.2 with Ellie Zimmerman
6:00 AM: Daybreak with Shimmer Villagomez
8:00 AM: Eurovision with Mitch Carlson
9:00 AM: Country Drag with Jordan Girard aka Ms. Petunia Pickels
10:00 AM: The Poetry of Stephani Maari Booker
10:30 AM: Reflections on Queer History & Pride with Ellie Zimmerman featuring Dixie Trechiel
11:00 PM: 50 Years of Twin Cities Pride with Darcie Baumann & Friends
1:00 PM: Twin Cities Pride: Stonewall Stage Preview with Jorge Sanchez
2:00 PM: Sarah McPeck Comedy & Friends
3:00 PM: Talking Education with Jason Bucklin
4:00 PM: From North Minne to the World with Jaz Steele
5:00 PM: Talking Politics with Kareem Murphy
6:00 PM: Everything Beyonce with Jeff Gavin
7:00 PM: The Fresh Fruit Collective
9:00 PM: In Conversation with DeX Santillan
10:00 PM: Kink Edutainment with Lark Lekät
11:00-midnight: Black. Queer. Art. with DJ Michel.Be

2025 Pride Programming was lead by Quinn Villagomez with support from Jason Bucklin, Dixie Treichel, Ellie Zimmerman, and Nora Doherty.

PRIDE25 - 1800 - Everything Beyonce_2025-06-26

Interview with Plague of Stars and Aesma Daeva vocalist Melissa Ferlaak in the 3rd hour.

9am-noon - No-Name Nate

#ICantBreathe

Pacifica Radio Network-Sprouts

Voices of Uprising

Name:  Rosa
Alias: M☹THER†R☹SA (@mothertrosa)
Pronouns: She/They/He
Location: Minneapolis

Influences: Honey Dijon, LSDXOXO, Ariel Zetina 

Affiliations/Residencies/Projects: DJ-U, meowmix, Otherworld?, aether

Favorite Quote: “Revolution is a serious thing, the most serious thing about a revolutionary's life. When one commits oneself to the struggle, it must be for a lifetime.” – Angela Davis

Advice for the DJs, artists and producers of our community: Don't compromise your style for anyone!

Please consider learning about and supporting DJ-U: https://dj-u.xyz/

Please consider supporting the Black Trans Travel Fund: www.blacktranstravelfund.com

Tracklist - https://bit.ly/MotherTRosaTrax

Daisychain

Daisychain 126 - M☹THER†R☹SA

When the future of an iconic music venue is on the line, artists and music lovers haven’t just stood around. Producer Colleen Cowie reports from Minneapolis, where a group of volunteers have created the First Love Project: a compilation album that gives back to the famed music venue, First Avenue. 

Support for MinneCulture on KFAI comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Illustration by Ryan Dawes.

First Love Project Supports First Ave Fam

By providing a voice for people ignored or misrepresented by mainstream media, KFAI increases understanding between peoples and communities, while fostering the values of democracy and social justice.

PRIDE25 - 1800 - Everything Beyonce_2025-06-26

KFAI - Fresh Air Community Radio

Related tracks