The show also features all request programs like stand-up comedy, music, band set performances, and a few naughty bits here and there. A popular independent music venue, Holocene also hosts Gaycation, one of the citys longest-standing dance parties. But the unique thing about 45 East is in the position of its dance floor. And if were missing one of your favorites from days gone by, tell us what made it special in the comments. Portland comes to life after hours with open mic nights held throughout the city, nationally acclaimed karaoke spots, delicious late-night eats, adult-friendly gaming spots, and plenty of alcohol-free fun. [20][34] Bands included Big Daddy Meat Straw, the Dandy Warhols (with original drummer Eric Hedford, playing songs from first two albums with some original guitars), Pond, Poison Idea, and Napalm Beach,[35] with the final concert taking place on October 31, 2010. [19], In the mid-1980s, the club was frequented by local residents such as poet Walt Curtis[20] and Courtney Love, the latter of whom met friend and bandmate Kat Bjelland there in 1984[3][14] through The Miracle Workers' frontman Gerry Mohr. These hidden gems are havens for jazz, punk, bluegrass, funk and more. On November 21st, 1970 dynamite was placed underneath the bell and detonated, destroying it. The building remains a fixture in Old Town. With an exclusive male strippers show at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, you would be glad you visited this showplace. [4] At the time, the surrounding Old Town Chinatown neighborhood had a seedy and dangerous reputation. York was born in Russia during the age of the Czars, and came to North America in 1909 to work as a tailor. The bombing is still a mystery today as the culprits are still unknown. So raise a glass to these dearly departed bars. Whether you're looking for a cocktail bar, a brewpub or a dive, enjoy your favorite summer beverage at one of Portland's rooftop bars or outdoor patios. The restaurant was demolished after the city purchased the block to make room for the streetcar line connecting downtown to the South Waterfront District. Heres a brief look in photos and videos at what life in Portland Oregon was like in the 1970s. It's a Saturday night in 1985. Portland has a wide range of events that require no alcohol whatsoever to enjoy. All rights reserved (About Us). Meanwhile, Helium Comedy Club is all about the punchlines,drawing everyone from touring, a-list professionals to emerging local talent to its stage. Back then it was a contrast in conservative ways, and a growing youth culture focused on self fulfillment. Today it houses a plastics company, but in its heyday half a century ago it was Portland's premier jazz venue, the Dude Ranch. Biddy McGraw's, a Northeast Irish pub that's now home to The O'Neill Public House. If you grew up in Portland in the 80s, you likely remember when the area now dubbed Portland's Living Room was just a parking lot. And by the late '90s, the turn of the millennium, my energy wasn't there. The bar lost its lease in 1993. They were booking national and international acts, and people were coming from all over to see artists like Oscar Peterson. The first floor of the building housed Slaughters pool hall, where many people got their first taste of jazz. Related:"In Wake of Jimmy Mak's Closure, New Jazz Club Will Open in Basement of Rialto. In 2005, the restaurant moved out to Southeast 82nd Avenue, where it ran for a decade before closing in 2015. [2] The marquee above the club's entrance was believed to have been either stolen or destroyed in the demolition process, as it remained unaccounted for. To say Portland has changed a lot in the past 30 years is a bit of an understatement. [27] Beginning in the early 1990s, Satyricon became a frequent host to grunge bands,[28] including Nirvana,[29] Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Mudhoney, among others. Now thatthe gay lifestyle is mainstream, James says he feels like theres no such thing as a gay bar anymore, guessing that 75% of Embers gueststowards the end of its years in business werestraight or questioning. During his time working at Embers, James Hemphill wore many hats - he was a cocktailer, a DJ, a lead cook, security, and his personal favorite - an entertainer - performing as drag queen Terrika St. James. Hawthorne's colorful Cuban restaurant, Cubo, has happy hour specials from 3 to 6 p.m. and 9 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursday, with $6 daiquiris and mojitos, $4 pints of beer, and Cubanos with plantains for just $7. The Stark Street record institution was going strong in the 80s. The US Bancorp Building went up in 1983 and the skyline of the city was changed forever. In the 1970s and '80s, this Beaverton bar was a popular spot for disco dancing and live music. Portland has changed considerably in the last 40 years with growing infrastructure, a changing skyline, and suburban sprawl. [2] The location of the original building is now home to the nonprofit Maybelle Center for Community and Macdonald West affordable apartments. When itcomes to professional music, Portland has all sorts of options. Many have forgotten, but for a few decades after World War II, Portland was a well-known hub for black music on the West Coast. In 1964 a replica of the Liberty Bell was installed in the City Halls rotunda and rung for the first time. Address: The Bossanova Ballroom - 722 East Burnside Street - Portland, Oregon, Opening hours: Fri - Sat: 24 hours (closed from Sun - Thu), A post shared by Barrel Room Portland (@barrelroomportland). Touhouliotis reshaped the tavern into a nightclub, and named it after the 1969 Federico Fellini film of the same name. The Go Go Cages were a super fun addition to Ember's dance floor. For over 50 years, this unique showplace has been entertaining and dishing out a different kind of amusement for people in the city. The Baby Kitten Klub basement bar includes two private rooms, 70s and 80s themed, in addition to a public main stage and bar area. Every day from 3 to 6 p.m., find $9 prime rib French dips, $7 Louisiana-style hot wings, and a $9 lounge burger with fries alongside Old Fashions and martinis. In May 2003, the club abruptly closed, after which it was acquired by new owners and reopened as an all-ages venue in 2006. The Portland International Raceway was going strong in the 70s, but . If you lived here in the 80s, you may remember these things about our city before it made this change. "[2] The urinal trough in the men's restroom was reportedly acquired by a tulip farm in Gresham. The buildings later became the popular Legin Chinese restaurant, which was sold and torn down in 2012 to make way for the expansion of PCC's eastside campus. A bar had been operating in the location since the 1950s, and Benjamin bought and rechristened it in 1972. We'll send you a newsletter with what you need to know every week. From stand-up comedy to improv or even comedy classes Portland has any kind of comedy you may be looking for. The Sky Trio was the house band that backed touring artists, and featured pianist Eddie Wied, who said he learned to play piano at the University of Williams Avenue., Owned by the same brothers who started the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival in 1981 as a tribute to their late father, the Hobbit began as a little cafe in the Woodstock neighborhood, and later moved to a larger location on Holgate, Darroch says. According to The Oregonian, materials from seven different countries were used to decorate the club, which cost $25,000 to build. After a year without Carnaval, be ready for the 9th Annual Brazilian Carnaval Ball in Portland. It featured a newsstand and a licensed card room one of the few places where gambling was allowed. Will the bar's distinctive sign be spared? This North Killingsworth Bar was known for an ever-changing sign that would say things like Caution drunks crossing and Our juke box can kick your juke boxs ass and dirt-cheap prices on beer. Almost every establishment in town has one, so finding the best depends on where you are and what you want to eat (or drink). The bridge opened in November of 1973 at a final cost of $82 million dollars. Site design by Click Marketing + NomadicCopyright 2021 City Home. 2023 | That Oregon Life LLC | All rights reserved. The vice president was entertained at the Masonic Temple.. Instead of Fellini, dolled-up rockers and living ghosts from Old Town's street scene jostled around a gyros counter oh-so-accurately named Eat or Die. In the 2000s, the bar became the Thursday night home to Karaoke From Hell, where you could sing with a live band, not pre-recorded music. visual history of Portland nightclubs and live music venues, Frosty glasses, stiff drinks: 28 long-lost Portland bars we wish were still around. This fantastic jazz club combines the classic feel of its historic building location with a modern mix of new school sounds and vibes. Read on for our guides to the citys nightlife scene, then check out our events calendar to discover more things to do at night on your next trip to Portland. Join Paddys for Portlands St. Patricks Day Celebration. Long before tiki bars became retro-cool, this downtown restaurant was mixing stiff Polynesian drinks and serving puu puu platters to students from nearby Portland State University. Magic happened every Sunday night, when drummer Ron Steen hosted a weekly jazz jam, which often attracted the talents of pianist Tom Grant and sax player Jay Collins. Address: 529 SW 4th Ave, Portland, OR 97204, USA, Opening hours: Fri - Sun: 8pm - 12am; Mon: 7pm - 10pm; Wed: 8pm - 12am; Thu: 7pm - 12am (closed on Tue). These trees are massive a quarter of the storage at Embers was dedicated just to their branches and it took three to four people three to four hours to put up each tree for the holiday season [Photo by Cory Burnsed]. Owners Huston Davis and Jeff Jenness created special house drinks, like the Pomegranate Red Martini and Pear-Sage Margaritas, many of them crafted with homemade fruit infusions ladled out of super-sized apothecary jars. This downtown caf and cardroom opened on Southwest Sixth Avenue in the 1950s, and continued to operate until it was displaced by the development of the downtown transit mall in the 1970s. The nightly shows atDarcelle XV are also good for a laugh. Sewickly's, a Hawthorn District cafe and bar that served breakfast all day. The list of musicians who played here is a "who's who" of the local blues scene, and the bar became a popular after-hours gathering spot each summer during the Waterfront Blues Festival. Media It officially closed in November 2010, and the building in which it was located was demolished in July 2011. With an exclusive male strippers show at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, you would be glad you visited this showplace. Beloved by local night owls and pancake enthusiasts, Portlands Original Hotcake House stays open 24/7, dishing up delicious diner grub and breakfast classics. This guide to historic gay, lesbian, and transgender buildings and locations in Downtown Portland borrows from a number of primary sources, including Minutes of the Portland City Council, Oregon Liquor Control Commission records, Portland city directories, Sanborn fire insurance maps, and several early gay newspapers published in the city . Located in the ever bubbling downtown Portland, the Jack London Revue is a haven for pure jazz. Anybody who was anybody who came to town, who wanted some after-hours action, they came to the Chicken Coop., The small record store on North Broadway was the meeting place around Williams Avenuea social center, if you will, Dietsche says. Cocktails are $2 off during happy hour. The original Vat closed in 1997, and the building was torn down so the Fox Tower could be built. As striking as the building was, it was doomed by progress it was demolished when connecting ramps from Interstate 405 to Highway 26 were built. Portland has always had a gritty underbelly, but in the 1970s, adult theaters, prostitution and strip clubs flourished, and the city struggled to address the growing number of sex-related businesses. They are shown with Jobie Rucker at the bass, Sidney Porter at piano and Earl Carnett at drums. We have a vast repetoire that makes us a great fit for any event and age group. The photo below shows the bridge still under construction in 1973. The Satyricon, located at 125 N.W. All Rights Reserved. On its last day open in 2012, it hosted a "Wrecking Ball Jam" that went into the wee hours and featured an all-star lineup of performers. Among them: If you're thirsty for more on the history of Portland nightlife, you're in luck: Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The second Vat became a Pastini Pastaria. Though gentrification and changing culture eventually forced the number of jazz clubs to witherthe recent shuttering of Jimmy Maks is just the latest in a long line of closuresthere has long been a history of unique venues in Portland. But something was simmering beneath the Retreats posh veneer. Journalist Zach Dundas on the club's location in the 1980s[7], Satyricon opened in March 1984,[a] and attracted a wide array of musical groups, as the club's booking agent made "no stylistic or hierarchical" distinction among the musical acts. The space is now home to Upper Left Roasters. CC Slaughters CC Slaughters in Old Town has been a gay-bar standby since the early '80s, drawing in people from the entire Pacific Northwest region with its LGBTQ events. Address: 32 NW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97209, USA, Opening hours: Sun: 4pm - 12am; Tue - Sat: 4pm - 2:30am (closed on Mon), A post shared by The Goodfoot (@goodfootlounge). Search by date, event type and more. In this 1956 photo, EHM Roston and John Winters are waited on by Betty Miller, and the atmosphere seems convivial. Many readers mentioned this basement club as a favorite watering hole they wish was still around. Slide into a booth at Slow Bar for arguably the best burger in the city and enjoy $1 off beer, wine, and cocktails, and $2.50-$5 off assorted menu items from 3-6 p.m. every day. Some of Portlands most destination-worthy bars just happen to be attached to some of the coolest hotels in town. The Jack London Revue A venue for music, arts, and even hosting, this club comes alive at night with all manner of parties and club night activities happening every night. Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiring travel guides and articles from around the world! It closed in 2008, and now is home to the Commodore Lounge. In its final decades, it became a popular karaoke spot. Portland may be best known for its indie music, but with a wide variety of dance clubs, the city has a rhythm that'll get just about anyone moving. Bushy-bearded and colloquial, Clark stunned everyone when he defeated the buttoned-up and predictable incumbent to become Portland's mayor in 1985. Required fields are marked *, Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. If youre thirsty for more on the history of Portland nightlife, youre in luck: Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Address: 105 NW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97209, USA, Opening hours: Fri - Sat: 8pm - 2am (closed from Sun - Thu), A post shared by Dixie Tavern Portland (@dixietavern). Anybody who wanted to go and seek a little adventure ended up at Madrona Records., Harder, heavier bop music and flashy silk ties differentiated Pauls Paradise from the Chicken Coop, Dietsche says. Located at the heart of downtown in the vibrant Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, Portlands Entertainment District is a go-to spot for late-night frivolity, whether its live DJs, tasty cocktails, or rowdy dance floors. By the end of 1983, change was in the wind for the Portland music scene. Open to all adults (18+), this night club is a proud supporter and welcomes the LGBTQ community to its nightlife haven. In mid-'80s, it was the launchpad for groups like Nu Shooz, Quarterflash, and artists like Kenny G and Robert Cray, who would go on to fame and big record deals. In the 1990s and 2000s, one of Portlands most-popular karaoke venues was the Galaxy Restaurant, a one-time Dennys restaurant that opened in 1963, which architecture fans lauded for its mid-century design. But Nirvana was obviously playing. The '80s in Oregon weren't all dark, however, with Bud Clark arriving on the scene to shake things up. aims to create healing spaces for Black and Brown Portlanders through music, dance and collaborative experiences. Tasty memories: 97 long-gone Portland restaurants we wish were still around. Every day from 3 to 6 p.m., find $9 prime rib French dips . Embers was originally locatedon SW Parkand Morrison next tothe Virginia Cafe. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. In the 1950s, the Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board placed the bar off limits to servicemen for matters of hygiene. It was military code for businesses that catered to a gay clientele. The public was dissatisfied with the way the Marquam Bridge looked, so the Portland Art Commission helped design the new Fremont Bridge. Fourth Ave., are closed to cars, transforming the area into a pedestrian-friendly party zone.Set within walking distance of a number of popular nighttime destinations, The Society Hotel, a newly revived 19th-century sailors boarding house, provides a perfect weekend basecamp. [7] He named the club Satyricon after the 1969 Federico Fellini film of the same name. And if you've got a photo of the long-lost bar to share, you can e-mail it to gbutler@oregonian.com, and we'll share it in a future story. requires no physical fitness program: Everyone gets enough exercise jumping to conclusions, flying off the handle, running down the boss, knifing friends in the back, dodging responsibility and pushing their luck. '' The Blow Fly would continue to operate into the 1990s. That led tothis list of 12 more favorite watering holes people wish were still around. In this 1989 photo, Steve Brausen and Smitty enjoy a couple of cold ones. Friday offers New Noise, which is an Indie and Electro Theme. A regular crop of national and international folk acts come through every year. London Revue is a proud supporter and welcomes the LGBTQ Community to its nightlife haven the world was... Rucker at the time, the surrounding Old Town Chinatown neighborhood had a seedy and dangerous.... 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