Motorcycles and hot rodders outside the Skyway Theatre in Downtown Minneapolis.

Gwar on the marquee of the Skyway Theatre in downtown Minneapolis.

A flyer taped to a pole in downtown Minneapolis advertises a search for an “aggressive guitar player” and “people who give a damn,” echoing the recruitment style of 1980s metal bands. The poster lists influences ranging from Vixen and Madam X to Mötley Crüe, Poison, Ratt, and Judas Priest—names that shaped the Twin Cities’ hard-rock and glam-metal culture during the era of small clubs and independent bands. Its DIY design and bold typography reflect the ongoing tradition of grassroots music promotion that still surfaces in the city’s urban corridors.