As a younggay man in the 80s, heremembers hiding behind his clothes and accessories entering gay bars. It was the longest-running punk venue in the western United States,[3] and has been referred to by some journalists and historians as the "CBGB of the West Coast. They ranged from gritty dives like North Portland's Blow Fly Inn, which catered to blue-collar workers, to posh cocktail spots like Northwest's Brazen Bean, where trendy young people gathered for elaborate sips and cigars. Its most-recent incarnation as a drinking spot was the massive club Barracuda, which closed in 2012. Other readers lamented the loss of live music venues, most-notably Old Town's Satyricon. The year was 1985 when King Kong took over the Portland Building to market the Oregon Lottery. The owner, Roman Wydra, was Ember's owner Steve Susss primary partner. An arson fire closed the original restaurant in 2013, and it never reopened. Its a place you knew you would feel safe., Your email address will not be published. After suffering a series of strokes, owner Steve Suss became incapacitated and unable to speak or write. A jazz club that presented the most popular jazz-influenced styles of its day, Rays Helm is most notable for hosting the Jeff Lorber trioa funk-jazz band that featured for a time a young Kenny G, Darroch says. Embers was originally locatedon SW Parkand Morrison next tothe Virginia Cafe. 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. Bushy-bearded and colloquial, Clark stunned everyone when he defeated the buttoned-up and predictable incumbent to become Portland's mayor in 1985. 15 LV's Uptown (Early 2000s . From outstanding local DJ performances to its stimulating lighting and unusual sounds, this club comes fully fitted with a full mocktail bar, exquisite VIP areas, and 21+ bars. A Analog Caf and Theater B Backspace (Portland, Oregon) Berbati's Pan Blue Monk (Portland, Oregon) Brasserie Montmartre C Candlelight Cafe & Bar D The Dude Ranch J Jimmy Mak's L La Luna (Portland, Oregon) The Liquor Store N No Vacancy Lounge P Paris Theatre (Portland, Oregon) S Satyricon (nightclub) T The Know (Portland, Oregon) Tonic Lounge X The tavern closed in 1996 after a 19-year run. We'll send you a newsletter with what you need to know every week. Thanks to a large African-American working community fostered by the Kaiser Shipyards, the Central Eastsideand North Williams Avenue in particularhosted a cluster of live jazz venues, juke joints and record stores. But times change and so does the city. This bar in the Uptown Shopping Center in Northwest Portland was a hot-spot for live blues and folk music in the 1980s and early '90s. Plus there were a lot of bachelorette parties, James said with a laugh, pointing out that this wasnt a bad thing at all If there wasn't a gay guy to dance with, there was always a nice straight woman to dance with!. Portland offers a wide range of arcades, from family-friendly game rooms to dive bars and adults-only bar arcades. Karaoke is a popular way to keep the good times going, and from dive bars to private boxes, there are no bad places to sing only bad singers. Co-owners Sam Usher, seen here in 1959, and Jack Urman remodeled and expanded the restaurant, which featured two bars and a dance floor. In the post-Prohibition era, neighborhood bars sprouted up throughout the city. 1999 Portland Gay History Walking Tour. A place like that runs on creativity and energy; it's not automatic. Introduction. In 1942, one of the places to get a taste of it was Pago Pago at Southwest Sixth and Stark Street, which showcased a tropical theme from its bar to its live band. Will the bar's distinctive sign be spared? From unforgettable parties to touring acts and art shows, this incredible nightclub in SE, Portland is one of the citys premium nightlife spots. From the skyline to the bursting population to a food explosion and gentrification, the city has transformed entirely. Located in a building that had served as a horse stable in the early 1900s, the club's owner, George Touhouliotis, founded Satyricon after acquiring a tavern that had operated in the building. They offer a large vegan menu, plus wine, craft beer and unique craft cocktails that focus on products from local and regional distilleries. Famous visitorsincluded Madonna and Henry Rollins. Join Portland's club kids most nights for laser lights, EDM and some of the best dancing in town. Oregon Cafe' Expresso ~ Portland Cascade Club - Springfield Oregon (need info/photos) The Chase ~ Portland/Milwaukie, OR (need photos/info) this list of 12 more favorite watering holes, Another round: 12 more long-lost bars readers wish were still around, Tight jeans, strong drinks and disco queens: A visual history of Portland nightclubs. The building remains a fixture in Old Town. The bridge opened in November of 1973 at a final cost of $82 million dollars. Heres a brief look in photos and videos at what life in Portland Oregon was like in the 1970s. Portland, a town of friendly people and progressive ideologies is famous for its relaxing vibe and of course, beer. The upstairs dining room featured pasta dishes and fancy desserts. Portlands number one club for world-renowned EDM acts, 45 East offers you something other than the regular nightclub experience in the city. So if you are a night owl visiting the town, here is a list of the best nightclubs in Portland, Oregon for you to check out. Spark Lounge - Portland's cool new nightclub where you can dance with Live DJ's 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. However, almost every night, this club offers you activities like karaoke and goldfish racing so there isnt a dull moment here. Address: 208 NW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97209, USA, Opening hours: Fri - Sat: 6pm - 2am; Tue: 6pm - 6:30pm; Wed - Thu: 6pm - 11pm (closed on Sun & Mon), Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account. But they linger on in memories and in photos that captured their essence. The building is scheduled to be demolished soon, and replaced with an office park. The space would later be rechristened Wanigan Lounge, and the drinks continued flowing until 2004, when the Greenwood Inn was closed and torn down. 13 cool features of old Portland restaurants you won't find anymore. Badlands, a gay dance club chainbased out of the Bay Area, purchased the building Embers was housed in and offered new jobs to all the Embers staff. It was "Dear Friend" by Flying Color. The Portland International Raceway was going strong in the 70s, but . The photo below shows the bridge still under construction in 1973. This workingman's bar located downtown at Southwest Second Avenue and Alder Street opened in the 1890s and continued until the 1980s. Enjoy thrilling nights drinking and partying at this top night club in the city. She loves nature, photography, hiking, camping, and exploring Oregon's wilds. Back in the 80s and the early 90s, if you wanted to visit OMSI, the river was not the place to go. In a profile in The Oregonian, Tucker said that serving drinks was a pleasant way to make a living, though the skimpy outfit sometimes drew unwanted roving hands. In this 1985 photo, Carcy Flatch, a waitress at the Beaverton location, sported a special T-shirt to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in 1985. Darcelle XV Address: 208 NW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97209, USA Website: Darcelle XV Opening hours: Fri - Sat: 6pm - 2am; Tue: 6pm - 6:30pm; Wed - Thu: 6pm - 11pm (closed on Sun & Mon) 2. They were a sacred space for him then: You walk in and theres a couple hundred people just like you, he said. The Ambassador Restaurant and Lounge meanwhile, embraces everything that a Chinese food restaurant-cum-karaoke bar should be and raises the bar with a light-up stage and a fog machine. Portland boasts many stages to bring you fresh, up-and-coming, and touring comedians. Planning a romantic evening in Portland? Located underground, party and have fun in a spacious dance floor with music playing from every angle. You had to use a little bit of intuition to find Tiger Bar. Shards of the bell went flying, and the blast damaged City Halls East portico columns and shattered windows. Tiger Bar opened in 1997 on Northwest Broadway, bridging the gap between Old Town and the then-industrial Pearl District. In 1964 a replica of the Liberty Bell was installed in the City Halls rotunda and rung for the first time. The bombing is still a mystery today as the culprits are still unknown. We asked readers if there were other watering holes that they missed, prompting a flood of suggestions. [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. Plastered with hundreds of band stickers, that would take someone days to take in. 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. Y.G.B. The club endured an era of no live music and then re-emerged in the 90s, when groups led by legendary bassist Leroy Vinegar and drummer Alan Jones filled the booths with young listeners.. Address: 315 SE 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97214, USA, Opening hours: Fri: 12am - 1am, 10pm - 2am; Sat: 10pm - 2am (closed from Sun - Thu), A post shared by CC Slaughters Portland (@slaughterspdx). This Southwest Broadway restaurant and bar was the sister establishment to Hilaires, which was just around the corner. Old buildings were being torn down to pave the way for the future, yet things like pinball machines were outlawed. This brief video from the Oregonian has some great photos and insight into what life was like in Portland in the 1970s: You can also see some video footage of Portland from the 1970s in this video, which appears to be an educational film shown in schools: Jessica Tomlinson is a native Oregonian currently living in Southern Oregon. It closed in 1952 after lease difficulties and battles with City Hall over its liquor license. And if you want to have a full experience of the fantastic nightlife of the city, visit any one of the above-listed nightclubs in Portland, Oregon and have the time of your life. 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. The Vat resurfaced a block away in 2003, but closed when Rose-Marie, a French-Canadian, was forced to return to Canada in 2005 following an immigration dispute about the length of her marriage to Quinn, who died in 1991. Just because you're older than 21, doesn't mean you have to act like it. He is fascinated with the beauty of nature and the great African arts and history. "[12] This largely had to do with the club's layout, which maintained little division between the bandstand and the bar. Read on for some highlights. The bill featured some notable musicians over the years,. While Portland has many venerable watering holes that still have cold beer on tap and cocktail shakers ready to rumble, many taverns and lounges have had their last call. She has been blogging since 2006. Related:"In Wake of Jimmy Mak's Closure, New Jazz Club Will Open in Basement of Rialto. Collage by Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive, By Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive. But the iconic sign -- tourists stop to giggle and take pictures of it still hangs over the original building. Every day from 3 to 6 p.m., find $9 prime rib French dips . This brass ship wheel from Embers was originally on display at Romans Rip Tide on SW 10th & Stark in the late 70s to early 80s. In its earliest days, people lined up to get in because the first few customers each day would get free drinks. Portlanders went to the disco, and adult bookstores and strip clubs sprouted up across the city, prompting the Oregonian to call Portland The pornography capital of the West Coast. The 1970s were also a time of physical change, as Portland began to turn into the city we know today. The Jack London Revue Technically, this Southeast Portland business was an Italian restaurant, but a number of readers said they thought of it as a bar because of its nightly jazz, where you might catch a set by hot vocalists Nancy King or Rebecca Kilgore. A portion of net proceeds for the St. Patricks event will be donated directly to the Childrens Cancer Association. In May 2003, the club abruptly closed, after which it was acquired by new owners and reopened as an all-ages venue in 2006. 13 The Jazz de'Opus (1970s-2003) NW 3rd and Couch. Patty's Retreat, a downtown dive that lost its liquor license after numerous patron arrests for drunkenness, drug use and dealing, and serving alcohol to minors. At its height in the mid 90s, Embers was pumping out drag shows seven nights a week. The building was demolished in the late 90s to make way for the downtown Marriott hotel. This Southern-inspired bar in the St. Johns neighborhood serves up decadent snacks and unique (often bourbon-based) cocktails. 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. If you've got a passion for poker or want to give the roulette wheel a spin, test your luck at these gaming centers and casinos near Portland. The Go Go Cages were a super fun addition to Ember's dance floor. The city combines its unique Northwest flavor and the creative spirit of Portland to give you a wide variety of activities to enjoy. Earth in Northwest, a biker bar where acclaimed Portland writer Katherine Dunn worked before her novel "Geek Love" became a cult favorite. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. A pizza and cheap-highball location, the Jazz Quarry was known as the Mural Room in the 1960s, but in the late 70s and early 80s it became a rite of passage for young Portland musicians to sit in at jam sessions, Dietsche says. 750 were here. [11] Local punk bands the Wipers and Poison Idea became notable regular acts at the club,[6][4] as well as various underground musicians. On September 20, 1985, Satyricon began offering food,[16] which included a souvlaki take-out window called Eat or Die. He has visited many of the waterfalls and museums in Nigeria and (Do a quick search on the following sites). Film flashback: 31 movie theaters from Portland's golden age. [35], The club was used as a filming location for Gus Van Sant's 1985 film, Mala Noche. In a 2010 interview, she claimed she met Cobain there in 1988 at a Dharma Bums concert where she was reading spoken word poetry,[22] although other accounts state that the two met in January 1989 or 1990[23] when Nirvana was playing at the club,[24] and that they playfully wrestled in front of a jukebox that night. The public was dissatisfied with the way the Marquam Bridge looked, so the Portland Art Commission helped design the new Fremont Bridge. This fantastic jazz club combines the classic feel of its historic building location with a modern mix of new school sounds and vibes. The bar, which was located at 18th and Alberta, was the last of the African American clubs and taverns along the street. 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. 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. The downtown restaurant space that has been home to Higgins Restaurant for decades was called The Broadway Inn in the 1950s and 60s, and featured murals by acclaimed Oregon painter Louis Bunce. Satyricon was a nightclub in the Old Town neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States that operated from 1984 to 2010. is an inviting neighborhood pub that features authentic German food and beer. There's always something funny happening in Portland. But Nirvana was obviously playing. Part 3: The Mid 80s. Because we serve liquor in a relaxed atmosphere and wear abbreviated costumes, they sometimes assume were pushovers, an easy mark for the man out on the town. It closed in 2008, and now is home to the Commodore Lounge. If you prefer a more down-and-dirty, rock-and-roll vibe, swing by Dixie Tavern where servers are known to dance on the bar and brave revelers are sometimes invited to join in. It became known as the home of legendary local bassist David Friesen and the Mel Brown Sextet., Youd get in a cab and say, Take me Uptown, Dietsche says. 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. Tight jeans, strong drinks and disco queens: A visual history of Portland nightclubs. Two significant events in Portland history took place in 1970. In 1984, there was no Pearl District, no River District, no Chinese Garden, no MAX. 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). Open 24/7, this iconic Portland destinations second outpost sells wild doughnuts topped with ingredients like bubblegum and bacon (and has shorter lines than the original spot in downtown Portland). The Baby Kitten Klub basement bar includes two private rooms, 70s and 80s themed, in addition to a public main stage and bar area. But that doesn't necessarily mean Portland's clubs are always on the up and up. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. In this 1989 photo, Steve Brausen and Smitty enjoy a couple of cold ones. In the late 80s, patrons of Embers salvaged two of the Gargoyle faces from the rubble of Portlands Orpheum Theater demolition to display in Embers show bar. Take a break from the real world with the help of these themed bars in Portland, where the ambiance is just as important as the menu. Tasty memories: 97 long-gone Portland restaurants we wish were still around. [7] By 1985, the club was selling around $7,000 of alcoholic beverages per month, and around $3,000 in food, with 20% of all food orders occurring through the take-out window. Beloved by local night owls and pancake enthusiasts, Portlands Original Hotcake House stays open 24/7, dishing up delicious diner grub and breakfast classics. [3][20] In 1993, Satyricon opened its own restaurant called Fellini, a nod to the club's namesake. The vice president was entertained at the Masonic Temple.. Located in a basement space, it offered a menu of sandwiches by day, and live music at night. 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