The Cedar Cultural Center

I love seeing shows at the Cedar. I know others have said it, but the right word is «intimate.» The Cedar is small. On one hand it does seem a tiny bit like a high school gym, but I never got acts in my high school gym like the ones they get at the Cedar. You are right up and close to the stage and the band. You could literally reach out and touch their legs if you’re up front (though I wouldn’t recommend it). The place is quirky in the best possible way — I love that I was at a show and could order a coffee. I love that the people who work there are friendly. I love that there’s a marquee in the main room. And of course I love the sign out front. It’s not the same as seeing a big show, but it can be an incredible experience to see music here. You just have to be open-​minded about it.

Kind of expensive to spend so much time on folding chairs but they use folding chairs to allow them to also have standing only events, too. Sometimes you can purchase tickets by area — center or not. Their website has all of the details for each show.
The staff are mostly volunteers, pleasant and cheerful.
Great selection of music. A large variety of drinks are available at average prices.
We had a great evening!

I’ve attended and enjoyed musical events at Cedar Cultural Center for 15+ years. Tonight’s «Minnesota Next» show was the worst ever. We could only last for part of The Dirty Banks and B.O.Y.F. — two amateurish bands with sloppy playing, poor vocals and pedestrian lyrics — before walking out. Really, Andrea Swensson (of The Current), this is the best you can pick for a Saturday night at the CCC?

Some of the best music in Minneapolis I have seen here. Acoustic Afrika. Carolina Chocolate Drops. The list goes on and on. The diversity in music is amazing.
Great space for dancing and there are always chairs available for sitting.

I’ve been coming to the Cedar for years. This is a nice little spot that books eclectic music of several genres (afrobeat, world, bluegrass, rawk, Americana). Some shows are seated and others are SRO, either of which sets the tone for the night. For instance, Gregory Alan Isakov was seated and the Harriet Brewery 4^th Anniversary was standing. On weird caveat was that Lee Fields was a seated show… who sits for funk?!
Not many upgrades over the past 18 years that I’ve been going to shows here. Sound maybe, although it’s always sounded really crisp in that middle school gymnasium room. Lighting is kind of bare-​bones. Back in the day they used to have a guy with an overhead projector and paints. Duuuude, I’m tripping balls and can see your aura! The bathrooms are small and can accommodate 2 people at a time. Not the most efficient setup. Another commenter complained about the temperature inside. It’s an old building. When several hundred people are packed into a room, what the hell do you think is going to happen? It’s going to get hot. Couple that with a raucous show of patrons dancing like the hedonistic party of Zion’s residents in the second Matrix movie and you’ll sweat. God forbid. The Cedar has copious beverages to hydrate and cool one down, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Good snacks too, especially if you need a big rice krispee bar after getting a contact high from the dready girl in front of you.
One drawback is that the patio has been under construction for a while. It used to be amazing with a number of shade trees and tables. Hopefully it will return, post haste. Parking can be found in pay lots in the area or on neighborhood streets. You’ll have to hike a couple blocks, but that’s city life. When you go, you’ll have fun. After all, if you’re there for the music, that’s the most important thing. Cozy, intimate, nice folks, great music, and tasty suds. What more do you want?

I saw a really good band there, but the facilities are sub-​standard. The temperature was stifling, and I had sweat running down my face just sitting there. It was so hot, for so much of the concert that it made it very difficult to enjoy. The restrooms are also very dirty, and there are not enough of them to reasonably support a full crowd.

I am definitely a fan of this place. I came here to watch my favorite group, Angus and Julia Stone, performed on a Saturday night. It was a sold out concert. I purchased the tickets four months in advance. I showed up and there was a guy going through the Will Call list. I got my tickets and proceed to the entrance. The girls took our tickets and to your right you will see a place where you get drinks and snacks. I was surprised they served local brews. It was kind of expensive though. I got the Indeed Minneapolis for 7 bucks. The woman’s bathroom was small and a little dirty.
Before you enter the theater there is a sign that say No pictures, No videos. Well people do not obey. You still see people taking pictures left and right without flashes. lol There are chairs everywhere to watch the performance. Good thing it is not a big concert cause I don’t to watch far. The sound is perfect to daydream while you are watching the performers.
The concert was great. I enjoyed the performance a lot by Angus and Julia Stone. I was super happy when I heard they were coming to Minneapolis. I believe it was their first time here. I will definitely come here again after a great experience! ;)
(Not sure if there’s parking for this place)

What is this magical, strange place?
This review is biased, since I went here to see a swoon-​worthy band, so I’m riding that high…
I walk in and am greeted by many friendly faces, many of whom are volunteers. Cool! It takes me literally one minute to grab my Will Call ticket and walk in. Then, I am greeted by the scent of homemade chai. Smells like spiced frosting.
The room is dimly lit, with folding chairs. Folding chairs? Miss-​matched folding chairs? I would normally judge, but it just feels so right. I grab a beer from their decent list of taps/​bottles and my friends grab a couple mugs of chai. Like mug-​mugs. With a Christmas tree on one and a duck on the other. Am I in my living room right now?
This place is small, and its not trying to be anything. It just is. I felt comfortable community oozing from it.
Love it. Support it.
And, if you volunteer, you build up credit for free admission to events. Cool!
*Side Note* Parking is mystifying over here, but the lots are decently priced. Just do it.

One of the best things about the Cedar is the diversity of music that you can see here. They offer something you just cannot get at other local venues, so they earn an extra star just for that.
Ticket prices are totally competitive at Cedar, and even more awesome are the beer and wine prices. They have a really decent selection of local and non-​local brews and usually two+ reds and whites to choose from. Another plus!
Sight lines tend to be pretty okay. I’m five feet tall, so I’m at a disadvantage anywhere, but at Cedar we can usual snag a spot on one of the outer edges, so I don’t miss a thing! The venue is compact for sure, as is the stage, so it’s not overwhelming.
What IS overwhelming, however, is the line for the bathroom. Oh my god. Do everything in your power to go when everyone else is still being enchanted by music, because, ladies, if you miss your chance, be prepared for two stalls and a lot of waiting.
Another tip: check out the wine + beer station inside the actual venue. The one in the lobby gets a humongous line, but fewer people realize that they sell many of the same things inside.
The Cedar is one of my favorite local places to see live music. It’s a manageable size, has clear acoustics and pretty awesome sound guys, and brings musicians into town who are always worth the ticket price.

As far as venues go — it’s pretty hard to find another place that draws big-​enough names in a super-​intimate setting.
Surly on tap, and I’ve seen Jose Gonzales & the Jayhawks here — so that’s always a good experience.

I think that this place has some of the BEST Chai Tea in town. It’s flavorful and spicy, but only slightly sweet. It’s perfect!
They also get some fantastic musicians in here all the time! Case in point, I am a volunteer here and worked a show a few nights ago. As I welcomed the will-​call patrons, I learned that one couple was from Saskatchewan and on their way to Chicago, stopping through Mpls. «to do something fun along the way» and see Rodney Crowell perform. Another couple had driven 3 hours north to see this performance.
I’m excited for the show at the end of September — Shovels and Rope will be playing.

The CCC is a cool place to find unique, global, and even local artists who provide listeners with a diverse musical experience. I learned of the CCC when I was attending school for my undergrad. Instead of writing papers for my Music of Africa class we were given t he option to volunteer at The Cedar. During my time as a volunteer, I grew to really love this place because the music was not the «usual». Also, the place is ran mostly by volunteer support. Yeah, I will admit I also had the problem of finding good parking, so my advice is to come a bit early and check out some of the local restaurants in the area before the show. There are plenty!

This is my favorite place to see music and one of my favorite things about the Twin Cities overall, truly a unique venue.
The best part is that often the shows are seated. Not assigned seats, just folding chairs all around a flat floor (it is small enough that there are no bad seats). This may sound boring to some of you, but the atmosphere this creates is very important and unfortunately unusual for music that is not quite to the Orpheum Theatre level of popularity, but still deserves this kind of treatment to be enjoyed properly.
The sound is great and the crowd is extremely respectful. This means that you can actually hear and enjoy the music without having to stand holding your drink and being knocked around by other people, and there are never those annoying people talking too loud through the songs here.
When a show is truly loud and there is no reason to be seated, there are no seats and it is noted ahead of time (British Sea Power was one).
It is non-​profit and staffed by all volunteers of the older hippie variety, which means the vibe is extremely friendly and cozy.
Their bookings focus on world music acts, which although that is not a big interest of mine is very cool considering the (largely Somalian) neighborhood it is in, but they do book a really wide variety of stuff.
I have seen some amazing shows here that could have easily been at First Avenue but I am so glad they were here. The Weepies, Ron Sexsmith, Low/​Murder of Crows, Bill Callahan, Sam Amidon, Billy Bragg and British Sea Power come to mind and are some of my favorite shows of all-​time.
So many times I go to shows at other venues and the atmosphere/​staff/​other patrons are so unpleasant that I end up wondering why I came. At the Cedar, on the other hand, I am always glad I came, even if the music is not my favorite. I just think this is how a concert experience should be.

One of the best places to see music (new/​obscure/​world) Whomever books the acts there knows where to look. Small quaint venue.

The Cedar Cultural Center is one of the nicest music venues in the Twin Cities. I have seen numerous shows here over the years and I have always found that the venue provides pleasant experiences. The crowds are fun and the bands tend to treat the experience as more low-​key and intimate.
Cedar Cultural Center gets extra credit for how well they accommodate those of us with disabilities. I went to a Golden Smog show recently and was worried about having to stand a long time and jostle for position as is typically customary for rock concerts. I was delighted to see that Cedar Cultural Center had chairs setup on the side that were reserved for handicapped seating. I was able to sit and enjoy the show without having my view obstructed too often. The best part is that I did not have to call ahead to reserve the handicapped seating.

Within the span of a couple days, I hit shows at both The Cedar and Fine Line. Welp, let’s just say that my poor experience at Fine Line helped me appreciate The Cedar Cultural Center all the more.
We checked out William Fitzsimmons at The Cedar, and his vocals shined at this venue. The acoustics are phenomenal — a great place for a chill show. The vibe is definitely unique — it really feels like a community center or gym when you walk in. But they manage to make it cozy enough, and the intimacy of the sound more than makes up for what may be lacking in ambiance.
At our show there were fold-​out chairs set-​up, admittedly a bit too closely spaced for comfort… unless you’re getting fresh with your concert-​going partner. The crowd is diverse from an age perspective — I liked seeing people of all ages and fashions there.
You should make an effort to hit up The Cedar.

Where has this gem been hiding? With a throwback theater exterior, Cedar Cultural Center is an intimate venue with a community feel. It seemed like the people who were ‘regulars’ had an authentic community and an excitement for the arts.
All seats were good seats, facility was clean and orderly and they carried some incredible drinks: wines, beers and even Crispin. In addition to being right in the midst of the of a fun, diverse area of Minneapolis, the location is convenient to us suburbanites, while still maintaining it’s ‘city’ authenticity.
We saw Stephen Kellogg and Tift Meritt and if the talent of these artists is any indication of the quality of shows the Cedar Center brings in, then I approve.
I officially have The Cedar Cultural Center on my radar and can’t wait to go back.

Awesome venue! Everything about this venue is just great to me, the openness of the front room, friendly volunteer staff, and the wood floors in the main room. This venue has got a different feel to it, with the folding chairs, and the stage not facing the door, but its good for folky sounding bands, and quiet shows. Maybe i feel this way is because i saw Azure Ray there last month, and they were so QUIET!
Im looking forward to seeing more shows here in the near future

One thing this place has going for it is CHARACTER. A bright new neon sign now hangs over the front door.
Going to hear Dobet Gnahore again, I was radiating love toward one and all and willing to overlook a lot of minor annoyances. However knowing that the seating is quite uncomfortable (folding chairs) laid out on a flat floor, I was in the l-​o-​n-​g queue with others who all wanted the best seats, wayyy ahead of time.
They recently upgraded their sound system and it was worthy of Dobet and her band. The listening experience was flawless, even as the folding chairs became more painful by the song.
Do the organizers know that Dobet’s music makes the dead want to dance? The seating arrangement made that impossible. Even Dobet was unforgivably restricted in her large powerful fluid dance movements on the tiny stage.
There was a small café right inside the lobby serving one of the best potato samosas I have had. The potatoes were perfectly spiced and the shell was crisp. There were 2 dipping sauces one of which was emulating harissa. Six kinds of wines and beers were also available alongwith other beverages. Food and drinks were allowed inside the auditorium. They were also selling some kind of dinner combo plate with rice and chicken curry.
Save yourself the aggravation and park in the U ramp.
All in all a great community theater but seriously, please fix the seating!!!

The Cedar is no-​contest the best place to see international music in the Twin Cities.
Aside from the housemade chai and the sidewalk patio, the best part about The Cedar is that it’s accessible to anyone, from a spry gentleman of 75 years who just loves to dance (at a Brazilian hip hop show, fo-​real, I saw it), to a young couple with kids (children’s programming!), to… well, me.
This will make me sound a little crotchety, but I really like that the volume is never cranked up to eleven here either. It’s listenable and intimate, and that always sounds better than noise, even if you are at a rock show.
At any time, you’ll find such a diverse line-​up of musicians on the docket: Afro-​beat, Scandinavian, Gypsy Jazz, local indie Americana, electronica, etc. It’s a beautiful thing to have so much access to so many incredible styles of music right here.