Met Center Nights (with Jon Lawrence)

In this special podcast episode of “Hangin’ Out with Bob,” we’re “flipping the script.”That’s right. Frequent guest Jon Lawrence takes the reins to interview podcast host Bob Edholm about a place that Bob remembers fondly—the Met Center, an indoor arena that stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s.For those who may not be familiar with the venue, the Met Center was home of the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967 to 1993.As a teenager, Bob loved the atmosphere, the electricity, and the excitement he felt every time he went to North Stars games at the Met Center. This was Bob’s “happy place.” While he was a student at the University of Minnesota in the 1970s, Bob landed a part-time job at the Met Center—as a “beertender.” Dressed in a green vest, a white shirt, and yellow (clip-on) tie, Bob worked behind a portable bar set up in the concourse of the Met Center to sell beer and peanuts to fans. (In 1974, a 12-ounce beer and a bag of peanuts there sold for a total of $1.05!)And it wasn’t just for North Stars games that Bob tapped the kegs and poured the beer for customers. He also worked at events like boxing matches, exhibitions by the Harlem Globetrotters, and concerts that ranged from Led Zeppelin to Seals & Crofts to … Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra.Even after he graduated from college and stopped working at the Met Center, Bob continued to go to North Stars games for several more seasons. Sadly, the North Stars left Minnesota after the 1992-93 season, and the Met Center itself was demolished in December 1994.So click to listen as guest Jon Lawrence “flips the script” to interview host Bob Edholm about the Met Center, the gone-but-not-forgotten venue that will always hold a special place in Bob’s heart.