<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0HDtRg_0qnNPQnq00" style="display:none" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0HDtRg_0qnNPQnq00" width="1200" height="735" > January 16, 1999 was an exciting time to be an Minnesotan: Prince’s "1999" has become inescapable once again, the Vikings were the dominant, clear favorites to win the Super Bowl (lol), and Jesse Ventura had just been elected Governor, the highest office a third party candidate had ever won at that point in American history. This dominant streak atop sports, arts and political headlines saw Minnesota hit a peak on that particular day when Ventura took over downtown <a href="https://bringmethenews.com/tag/minneapolis-mn" rel="nofollow"> Minneapolis </a> ’ Target Center for an event billed "The People’s Inauguration." It wasn’t Governor Ventura’s only gubernatorial inauguration, as he’d been officially sworn in earlier that month in a traditional ceremony at the Minnesota Capitol, where he released a bald eagle and hosted a potluck, sparking a national discussion of what constitutes "hotdish." <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> But these events were all leading up to what was promised for January 16: an event at the Target Center that was to be as unique and unorthodox as the successful campaign that caused it to happen. Tickets sold out within the first day they went on sale, with estimates of the entire Target Center crowd being between 13,000-16,000 – and that’s without even announcing a full line-up. "The People’s Inauguration" was largely shrouded in mystery, and while it was confirmed Minnesota-based guitarist and national star Jonny Lang would be performing, the majority of the night was held close to the chest by the Ventura camp. The Governor’s election night answer to who he’d want playing his inauguration included Lang, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, leading to those in attendance assuming one of those two would be among the surprises. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> It may seem outlandish now, but at the time Jonny Lang was set to join the Stones for their forthcoming "No Security Tour" and Ventura had introduced The Stones on-stage the previous decade, so those connections weren’t entirely out of the question. As for Aerosmith, they were still riding the high of the previous year’s "Armageddon" soundtrack smash "I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing" and were popping up all over the place while being between legs of their Nine Lives Tour , so a return to Target Center (after having just played that November) wasn't so impossible either. But while the Minnesotans didn’t get the Stones or Aerosmith, what they did get was a star-studded party celebrating all things Minnesotan. It’s a party that you are able to be watched in its original airing form (minus the final segments) below, <a href="https://www.tpt.org/inaugural-the-peoples-celebration/video/%20inaugural-the-peoples-celebration-15651/" rel="nofollow"> courtesy of Twin Cities Public Television </a> . <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><iframe height="375.984375" src="https://player.pbs.org/viralplayer/3042481603/" width="100%"></iframe> According to Vice President of Engagement and Strategic Partnership at TPT, Bill Hanley, it all came together very quickly. He told Almanac in 2014: "A week before the event I get this call from the inaugural committee saying, ‘Would public television be willing to broadcast this?’ I said ‘How in the world is it possible that you don’t have a commercial television station already hooked up?’ <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> "They explained to me that the Governor-elect apparently had problems with what the commercial stations wanted to do ... I think it was the first time, maybe the only time in my career that we’ve ever sat down there and watched something go out over public television that we were responsible for and we had no idea what was coming." But what did come to the Target Center that night was an audience&nbsp;made up of the diverse selection of voters who put Ventura in the Governor’s office the previous November. As Ventura himself said in the 1999 documentary "Citizen Jesse": "We wanted the Inauguration Party to be a celebration of all Minnesotans." "Everyone came with the attitude of simply having fun, and they did," he said. The crowd shots from the broadcast show suit-and-ties and denim ensembles in a dead heat. Mullets, frosted-tips, bowl cuts – all the fashions of the time were on full display. Probably the most frequently seen article of clothing was the "Retaliate in ’98" t-shirt, capturing the aggressive change voters wanted the previous November in the same colors as the "My Governor Can Beat Up Your Governor" bumper stickers that were soon to take the state by storm. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> After an opening bit of MnDOT sketch comedy from local performers making a range of topical references (including an impressive loon call), we saw the U of M marching band and then a cut to a live feed of the arrival. Probably the most memorable image of those who watched the live broadcast was the bevy of bikers leading the motorcade of the Governor’s campaign bus that had become such a frequent sight all across Minnesota the previous year. As it pulls up to the Target Center, we see Ventura and the first lady Terry make their way through the crowd to their seats. Jesse wore one of the many Jimi Hendrix shirts he’d wear throughout his public appearances for years to come, as well as a fringe jacket and sunglasses. It was somewhat shocking at the time as we’d seen him in more traditional Governor attire for the previous month’s festivities – but 25 years later it’s clearer what his intent was and what that meant for his supporters. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> He was someone people could relate to, who they could see a concert with, but who also had the previous experience of being Mayor of Brooklyn Park, and whose opinions had been repeatedly laid down on the record from his previous stint hosting a radio show. The night continued with rocker Dave Pirner of hometown heroes Soul Asylum performing “Black Gold,” followed by Minnesota icon Benchwarmer Bob (who’d played with the <a href="https://www.si.com/fannation/bringmethesports/vikings" rel="nofollow"> Minnesota Vikings </a> in two of their Super Bowl games and then became a beloved local pitchman) leading the Champlin Park football team (which Ventura once coached) through a series of drills. After a video montage of Minnesota youth saying what they’d do as Governor, there's a performance of "A Whole New World” from Disney’s "Aladdin." Next up, after an introduction of Lieutenant Governor Mae Schunk, we get a personalized video message from then-Tonight Show host Jay Leno doing a bit about the similarities between himself and the Governor (think the urban legend about JFK and Lincoln coincidences) culminating in the punchline that both have wrestled Hulk Hogan, but that Leno wrestled him and won (yes, that did happen on pay-per-view the previous August). This was truly unlike any sort of inauguration party that Minnesota had ever seen. The classic rock band America appeared on-stage to perform two songs, “Ventura Highway” and “A Horse With No Name” – the latter dedicated to the first lady for her public love of horseback riding, which was followed by local rock favorites Tina and the B-Sides with a high-energy, emotive, arguably show-stealing, performance of “Leave This Town." The night then shifted&nbsp;dramatically into an elongated Minnesota Vikings pep rally before the following day’s big game against the Atlanta Falcons for the NFC Title, with&nbsp;Miss Minnesota accompanying Vikings owner Red McCombs to the stage before the&nbsp;Vikings cheerleaders performed to a re-recording of Will Smith’s hit "Miami" changing all the lyrics to be about the Vikings. The Vikings love goes on for quite a while, but at the time the team was so incredibly popular that those in attendance didn’t seem to mind at all – a mindset that would change 24 hours later. Up next was a big set-up for a surprise musical performance. In true 1999 fashion, the crowd is visibly seen doing “The Wave” for several rotations.&nbsp;Finally, we see the most famous moment of the evening as the legendary Warren Zevon is announced to perform a few songs, including “Werewolves of London” for which he invited the Governor on-stage to sing with him as Timberwolves mascot Crunch rappelled down from the ceiling. What a time to be alive. While the rest of the Inauguration footage that night isn’t included on the TPT online archives, we do know that Jonny Lang performed and contemporary coverage received it well. Ray Stiles of MNBlues reported that Lang played for almost an hour-and-a-half, at one point bringing out Fargo favorites The Blenders for a Gospel number. Lang and Ventura would continue to be linked throughout 1999 as Minnesotans making national headlines for unconventional success, culminating in the two being photographed together for the cover on the May 1999 Replay Magazine. The event spawned a compilation CD (as everything did that year) named "We Rocked the World," which was released later in 1999 and featured songs from Minnesota artists intercut with sound clips of Ventura’s address to the crowd that night at Target Center. As of 2014, “The People’s Inauguration” was the most-watched local program that TPT had ever aired. Looking back at it today, Target Center for that night was a scene of Minnesotan harmony (though we should acknowledge that the majority of Minnesota voters didn't vote for Ventura, who won with 37% to Norm Coleman's 34.3% and Skip Humphrey's 28.1%.) The next day wouldn’t be so fondly remembered as the Vikings were eliminated from Super Bowl contention when upset by the Falcons. Later that year, Tina and the B-Sides disbanded and Ventura’s interviews and approach to governing became more polarizing and controversial among Minnesotans, never again reaching the peak experienced that unifying night at Target Center. Twin Cities Public Television will premiere <a href="https://www.tpt.org/jesse-ventura-shocks-world/" rel="nofollow"> "Jesse Ventura Shocks the World” </a> at 8 p.m. Tuesday on TPT 2. It will also be available for streaming on the PBS App. It's described thus: "Playful as it is serious, this documentary promises to be a must-watch for those interested in politics, wrestling, and the extraordinary journeys that shape the fabric of our nation." </div></body>

Mountain View, CA

A melting pot of Minnesotans met at Target Center to welcome a most unconventional governor.