Sacks front avenue comes quickly to mind,Many nights watching Johnny and the Distractions,Billy Rancher,seafood mama, Wheatfield great days,and nights

Division Street Corral, though a ways east of downtown, had quite a reputation in it's day. It's now gone, replaced by apartment buildings.

Earthquake Ethel's.

DT-That was my very first bar/club experience upon turning 21. My older sister took me out on the town and that was our first stop.

Skoochies and Club Macombo

Thedude, this was a damn fine thread idea.

Blue Gallery was tiny, sweaty and awesome. Few places had such a short existence with so many top notch shows. The venue was one of the biggest reasons kids in the late 80s wanted fake id.

9th Street Exit became the Pine Street Theatre. No place was more fun to see touring bands than Pine Street. After it was sold to out of towners, it was remodeled and named Rockcandy in a feeble attempt to make a "chain" of nightspots with the club of the same name in Seattle. It was renamed La Luna and tried to recapture the spirit of the old days. It failed after a brave effort. Now it is a building full of carpetbagging hipsters and offices.

The UFO closed and became the X-Ray, a club remembered through a prism of time that has been quite kind. Perhaps in some ways, far too kind. It did launch many a band into the consciousness of our fair city. It also was a good place to discover unknown kids steeped in unbridled loudness. On the other hand, well, it was unpredictable.

Satyricon is gone. I know, there is a club with the same name, but it exists without Bruno or George, and little sense of history. I wonder if the kids today even remember the bombing of the Sav-Mor, GG Allin's scheduled suicide on Halloween or "Rocky" the bad cop. I bet even fewer remember the club owned by George's brother, Day for Night.

Starry Night was home to our most infamous music related murder.

Rockport Records hosted some great live shows in their early days.

Flying Heart Records was housed in a downtown space next to Escape From New York Pizza. They had a little label and some good shows in the basement. Soon, the whole building was bulldozed for a parking lot, but the indie releases kept coming.

The Portland Underground had the toilets back up and spill across the dancefloor. Still, a very memorable place because the owner, Walter, punched out Billy Corgan. We still owe that crazy f***er a debt of gratitude for a swing well swung.

The Fuse and the Hand were both art spaces upstairs from the Portland Underground in the infamous Modish building. A great spot to see a show for short bursts of time.

Riverway Inn was a good spot for songwriters and spoken word artists to congregate. Cafe Lena filled that niche for a while too. For a time they could be found at Belmont's, before the hippies took over. Now, none of them remain.

The Medicine Hat and Blackbird were both great spots with high ideals, good staff with a few all-stars, and unfortunately, a short existence. The guy who owned the Hat was batshit crazy.

The Rabbit Hole was probably the best place to see a show on a sticky hot night. Downstairs, air conditioned and plenty of frosty things to drink, and sometimes, plenty of frosty girls to mutually ignore.

We have had some really great jazz clubs too. I suspect that many of us still lament the passing of Parchman Farm and the Hobbit.

Snoopy's!

Sack's Front Ave was THE place in the day on the live band ciricut in the early 80's.

There are tons of others, some biggies . . .

The Euphoria

The Last Hurrah

The Earth

Key Largo

Luis La Bamba

Out in the suburbs . . .

Tippers

The Faucet

Still alive . . .

The White Eagle

Alley Seventeen
Amato's Theatre Restaurant
Carmen's
Circus Room
Club Gay Paree (visit our merry-go-round bar)
Club Portland (no cover charge)
DelMar Club
Desert Room
Ed's Spot 79 (cocktail lounge)
Elmo's Club
The Flame
The Grove
The Helm
Il Trovatore
Lil Sandy's (live music for your dancing pleasure)
Louis Club & Cafe
Marenida Club
Merle's Club
Ray's Cafe & Club
Sandy Hut (Wolves Den, Drinks-Dancing)

Since the Skooch was tossed in... I'll throw in both Spectrum's in Vancouver, Jeff at Platinum Records was my co-hort on the tables back in the early 80's. Man we had a Portland/Vancouver crowd blast until the bigger Portland Club Plaza opened. Enjoyed my long term there, but radio called... those were the all age, but pretty much 16 - 22 crowd places.

Who remembers the all age Salem place near the Fairgrounds in the mid 80's? I think Richard ran that one. Brain fart on an all age place near 104th eastside, or was it 102nd in the mid 80's, near Prescott I think? Beaverton had one about then too out near the ice skating rink.

For anyone in Seattle, I can go back to the days of the original all age Spectrum and Tonight's the Night on Mercer Island.

On the legal side... great ones Skeptical! Me and some friends used to do the late night/early morning "need a fix of reggae" at the Red Sea. That could have been after many a stops at one of the multiple Barringers locations or any other place that was pouring until at least 1am. That's what we loved about the RS, music and beer still going until 2:27am when the garbage bag came by before the cops did.

Is Up Front FX still down on the Waterfront? Since I'm not living in the Rose City right now, not sure what's going on down there. Helped put that baby together with the owners many many moons ago. Always enjoyed the fact that even after many years later, the management still remembered us old club jocks and treated us with great respect.

There was a nightclub in the late 70's near KGW, like Jefferson and ? but I can't remember that one right now either.

The Black Angus' used to do some movin' as well back in the 80's! Loved jumpin' around and hearing the great and not so great club guys.

Club Macambo, I'm still laughing after reading that from CJ as their sign said "20 gorgeous gals and three ugly ones!" So true... especially the night I was asked by JR (my Q105 days) to take Eddie Money and his road manager down there. Eddie and JR ended up backing out at the very last minute and his road manager was not thrilled for the hour of the three "special" gals. Oh yes, I had plenty of ones to keep them there for him. LOLOLOL

Thanks for thread and the bringing back of some lost memories!

Todd- I remember producing many Up Front FX radio spots during my time in the production room at Z100. Never did go to the joint, or any of the places we promoted for that matter.

HAHAHA - Well remembered about Club Macambo, Kahtik. I didn't think anyone would pick up that much less have an actual story. I was too young to ever actually enter before it shut down. But boy did I get a kick out of using their slogan as often as I could.

Now I just go to Mary's Club. Mostly for nostalgic reasons. But also because that was the first time I had ever paid to hear a Pixes song - they had a great jukebox - ahem.

Actually, to be honest, strip clubs aren't my bag. I always judge the dancer by their song choices and shoes. Not exactly your typical criteria. If I heard a Nine Inch Nails song, I knew what kind of girl was going to be dancing and how she'd probably move around the pole. Seen it. I'd get a drink, I'll leave a dollar for your nice vagina, I'll be right back.

But if she picked out a more obscure song - THAT got me excited enough to sit down at the rail. I gave some girl around 50 bucks one night because she kept pulling out the KILLER songs. ( Redd Kross [ Jimmys Fantasy ], The Cult [ She Sells Sanctuary ], Cheap Trick [ She's Tight ] ELO [ Don't Bring Me Down ] ) I would compliment her on her shoes. And she would show them to me up close and expose her, uh,...album cut.

And THAT'S how I met your mother.

Hey, Chris, too bad you never made it there, it was fun crazy! I was involved in the early days when we had Duck and the Blazers hanging there.

Oh CJ... I'll add on... as I agree, I'm not really one for strip clubs. I used to mention to a few KUPL buddies when we went to the Acropolis for the lunch steak special every other week... yes gang, many of the radio staff... if I recall, I think we even dragged Stan along one time, without the wife knowing.

I would tell one of my co-horts, why in the heck do I want to drop the dollars here, when for a dozen roses given to my knock out girlfried I would be set for weeks at home. Oh, so true!

One time a gal at the Acrop was showing us some new dance moves (ahem) and I was with one of the record reps trying to get some extra product for an upcoming event. Well, he was so excited about how much better the (ahem) line dancing steps were here than down in his state he couldn't stop watching.

The gal noticed I was still talking to him and said, "Honey... H E L L O, I'm doing my job here and you're not even paying attention, is there something wrong with you?" I replied, "No, I'm doing my job too, so you keep moving your lips and I'll keep moving mine!" He laughed and the next week I had more promotional stuff than I could give away, plus some great meet and greet stuff.

By the way, it wasn't my mother, as she only did the "go go" thing for a week when I was a toddler for some extra cash. Only learned about this short career when I saw an old photo and asked her why I never knew she was a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader?

Learned she loved to just dance in those days and figured a little extra money to keep your clothes on was fine. She didn't get the "REAL" picture of why her workers all drove better vehicles and stuff until one night some guy motioned her to come closer to give her a buck and she said "Keep your stinkin' money!"

Needless to say, she quit immediately and never wanted to hear Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" again. It's a story I love to bring up at family gatherings!

However, you might have been thinking of one of my ex-girlfriends there! : ;)

Oh, how this thread REALLY brought back some memories! Thanks "thedude" and yes also enjoyed Johnny D in those days!

I'M STILL LAUGHING!!!!!

how about Zacks on 30th and powell. The Wreck of the Hesperus later the Foghorn {home to KGON s famous cheap thrills night large pitchers of beer 92 cents for 92 minutes} Vintage press on 92 and foster. the Long Goodbye,Beckmans, the Orange peel,cisco and ponchos,fat little rooster,Aldos,Chucks steakhouse, the depot great days

what about the great live music!!!!!!Johnny and the distractions,Sequel,Triggers Revenge,Hurrman Burrman Band,Wheatfield,Mr. NiceGuy,Rockin Razorbacks,Robert Cray,Thinman,Cowboy Angels,In Yo Face,badley bradley,Sleazy pieces,Jeff Lorbers Fusion,Checker brothers,Nu Shooz,Burnside Bombers,Rising Tide,Legend,The Odds,THe Balloons,Mystery train,Paul DeLay band,Movie Star,Silvertones,Seafood Mama,Malchicks<Billy Rancher And The Unreal gods The confidentials, The cowboys,The Rangehoods,those where the days of great music and great times

Who remembers the all age Salem place near the Fairgrounds in the mid 80's? Razzles. It has reopened in the Liberty Plaza downtown Salem in the same building as the old KSND.

ChickenJuggler I had to go back up on your post and see who the author was. Shoes and song choices in a strip club damn LOL!

Yo Dude, that is an excellent list. I'm surprised anyone here remembers The Balloons! Were they cool or what?

Shyguy, Razzles! That was it, thanks. Re-opened? Richard isn't running it again is he? Back then I told him if he wasn't careful, someone might take a bite off the other ear.

Doesn't or didn't Doc have something to do with Razzles? Or is " Doc " and " Richard " the same person being talked about here?

When I was the DJ at Black Angus in Salem, there was a competing DJ at a place called La Casa Real. His name was " Darrow." He and I had some incredible battles. He had his crowd and I had mine. I would talk shit over the mic about him in our place and he would talk shit about me at his place. And then customers who were hopping between the two clubs would relay our respective messages to each other. I have to say, it was pretty damned fun to feel like on any given night, I ruled the town - and then on some nights, I knew he was ruling the town. He was a good jock. No doubt about it. All through the 90's we battled. I miss that guy. He would get the crowd going through sheer showmanship. I never felt comfortable donning a prop and saying " Look at me." But he did and did it well. I got the crowd going through the mix of music.

At that time in Salem, there was a small bit of racial tension. I, being white, got caught in the middle sometimes. Including a particularly heated mediation session that was called for because I and some of the staff wore some wigs on " Wig Out Night." One staff member wore a brown afro wig. No black face paint or anything. Just a brown afro wig. Suddenly, Black Angus was racist.

Darrow, being black, was saddled with a few vocal community members that stirred up shit and knew me well enough to know I wasn't doing anything even mildly racist. But he couldn't say so because he HAD been burned in this city. Saying that he disagreed with why we were being targeted and protested against, would cause him to lose support from a community that responded well to him. It was a microcosm of OJ, Al Sharpton and gangs and white assholes all mixed in to two little dance clubs. I couldn't even make fun of Michael Jackson without being called racist. Looking back, it was awesome. I still miss a lot of that.

But I'm bringing sexy back in August. So I've got that going for me.

Chickenjuggler, those Mary's memories bring it all back home. Ben Ellis (co-owner of the X-Ray) is an old acquaintance of mine. He once pointed out the bitter irony of a girl who danced to Eleanor Rigby. I liked to go there and write back in the day. It was a perfectly Bukowski-like place. You know somebody has been there more than once if they remember the big mural on the back wall.

You make me wish I had heard you bumpin' the jams down in that part of the valley back in the day.

I remember Boone's Treasury in Salem in the early 90s. They had an enthusiastic and eclectic crowd. Wasn't it right across from a prison or something?

Boone's is currently located away from the prison. It may have been near there at another time though. And like all Mcmenamins, their quaint lack of service and " accidental overbilling " gets old. I know it's supposedly sacreledge ( sit down, Herb ) to have anything negative to say about Mcmenamins, but it just becomes insulting after a while.

Eleanor Rigby dancers. I am stealing that thought. That is very VERY funny.

Ben Ellis - any relation to Tim? I know he has ties to Craig Carothers ( a personal favortie of mine ). Tim Ellis hit on my wife a little too hard once. I can't blame him. Yet I still call for his kneecaps to be delivered to me in a bucket.

It might have been the women's facility where Diane Downs escaped or something. Now that it is a McMenamins, well, I could see things changing including the location. Like you, I also have mixed feelings about their franchises.

I dunno about any relation or connection. Ben was certainly a sweet fellow and unworthy of kneecapping. He once said with a completely straight face that the best price on generic smokes in Oakland was a store called, Food & Liquor. He was droll as hell and I liked him for it.

ChickenJuggler your former gig as DJ at Black Angus sounds awesome. I would love to take a trip back in time to visit those old days. As I was too young back then. I do remember though being downtown on the New Year's Eve that was I believe Black Angus's last night in business and remember walking past with my brother and both of us being shocked at the line just to get in on that last night. Were you the DJ that night?

BTW did you ever find the appropriate venue?

Skeptical,yes the Balloons were a fine band indeed <but I believe it was J.Issac of Quarterflash fame who was responsible for the break up .J.took the meat from the Odds the Jarvis Brothers and put them together with Mike fingerhut and the joining of these two bands was called Mystery date ...they sucked

Dude, if I'm correct Mike Fingerhut later had a band called Arts and Crafts then disappeared off the face of the earth. Man, those were the days.

(For those wondering, yes, its the same J. Issac as you think it is.)

skeptical,Fingerhut s bands where the Ballons then Mystery Date, a quick line up change and the band became Arts and Crafts and then the band changed names to Man In Motion after which he dissapeared from Music scene and Mr Issac started his career with the Blazers.......

also remember these bands,Nimble Darts,Slowtrain,Puzzle,Map Of France,Upepo,the Rifle Birds, Crazy 8s,meredith Brooks And The Angels Of Mercy,Dan Reed Network,Jack Charles and Mien Street,The Jackals,Ed and The Boats,Body and Soul, Linn ,pilot....the Glory Days Of Portland Music

Wow, Thedude, forgot about a few of those, thanks again! Used to do the occasional bowling thang with Dan Reed on the off nights. It was a bunch of the past PDX club jocks and one who went radio, hmmm who was that? You're right, loved Meredith Books, Jack Charles and Body and Soul as well. Hey, the Crazy 8's are still alive up in Canada! Wanted to catch them in Vancouver last month, but was down here in the US at that time.

Sado-Nation? Smegma?

Anyone?

Probably not.

Smegma?

I was just talking about them to a buddy on the phone this morning. Bernd has been a friend of mine for years. Did you know that they did a record with Wild Man Fischer?

Geez you guys (Skeptical, TheDude, Littlesongs) we must have bashed into each other a bunch of times back then! We (wife and I) were pretty regular on Fridays and Saturdays on that circuit. I loved all those bands, those were the days!

Didn't see anyone mention: Sand (i still have the two records on one side each for continuing flowing Sand)

Also, The Odds morphed into 2:50. Remember that one?

We spent way too much time at Sacks, that's for sure. Saw Johnny do his first foray out front. We still see him today.

Great thread!

LS: No way! Do you have the record? (I'd guess "probably"!) I also have a "Sand" LP, I suggested them for our prom band. I was laughed at. I'd guess since they didn't play "Stairway to Heaven"...

I have a friend, Lynn, who was a cocktail waitress at Sacks, and she wasn't even 21, probably in '81 or '82...I about fell off my chair one night when a HUGE river rat ran across the dance floor there.

Those were the days! I probably slept with ALL of you!

(OK, totally kidding!)

Warner sez: "Geez you guys (Skeptical, TheDude, Littlesongs) we must have bashed into each other a bunch of times back then!"

When we include kahtik and Mrs. M, I think it may be safe to say that the biggest pdxradio.com gathering was held back in the early 80's at Sack's. Too bad the rest of you guys missed out.

I have 2 "Sack's Front Ave." t-shirts.

I also remember Sado Nation, but don't recall if I actually saw them.

Mrs M sez: "I probably slept with ALL of you!"

Did you have a white car that I bumped into in a driveway when you told me "TURN HERE" at the last moment when I took you home from Sack's after closing one night after meeting you? Ha ha ha. (True story, but I've forgotten her name!)

ado nation ,smegma< the Wipers,the rats,Napalm Beach remember them too. Warner do you remember the night @sacks when johnny and the d's drummer kip richardson quit before the show and jon pounded the skins and sang!! Koonce and The Gas Hogs played my wedding reception.Jon Koonce is without a doubt the best this town has ever seen musically {and many other towns also}he still kicks it out big time his new band, One More Mile

Okay now, The Dude, we must have met before, we go to see Koonce all the time. And yes, I do remember that incident. I told Jon long ago one night, "whatever you do, don't lose that drummer", meaning Kip. Of course, he did, but kept on going, to this day. He found another fantastic drummer in Andy!

Great website by the way: http://pnwbands.com

"Warner do you remember the night @sacks when johnny and the d's drummer kip richardson quit before the show and jon pounded the skins and sang!!"

Hey, I was there too. I remember it clearly and it was at Sack's. It looked like the mike was rigged in a way not to interfer with his playing and he sang into it all night.

Warner ,is Andy back playing Jon Koonce last time i caught him i belive it was Bryce Shelton playing drums? I love to watch Koonce play, it is a bit sad, the small crowds he now plays in front of,remember 10 12 years ago when he filled the Roseland for a Johnny and the Distraction reunion show.love watching him play before a full house at the white eagle

a few more clubs Frankensteins,the faucet,and does anybody remember the Hayloft??

Oh yeah, the Hayloft. I could get in that place with my older friends when I was only 16! Heh!

Later it was Bodeens and was somewhat of a dump, later sleazing down to nude dancing of the not so tasteful kind.

Skeptical,Do you remember where The Hayloft was? i only recall the name ,but can not remember the location..........

Hayloft Tavern was at 5411 E. Mill Plain Blvd., now the site of Vancouver Town Plaza.

I saw Woody Herman and his Thundering Herd there in 1972. What a band!!!

Is that near were "Diamond Jim's" used to be? I loved that restaurant!

HEY.....I just googled it and it show's it's still there! I thought it went out of business years ago. I'll have to make a trip there and check it out. Anyone been there lately and if so, any good?

The Dude, sorry I missed your post about Andy and Koonce. Andy's been working downtown at US BANK for awhile.

You are right, Bryce is playing drums with Jon now in One More Mile. All things Koonce are found on jonkoonce.com

yea ,when i get a chance to go out a night that is the first website i check in with. Other than his gig with Tommy TuTone is Andy playing around town at all? Andy is the poster boy for anyone wanting to play drums ,I have never seen anyone play every night like he is having the time of his life .............Kq4 how did you remember that adress?

"Kq4 how did you remember that adress?"

Dude, I remember the Hayloft being on Mill Plain but not exactly where. A search turned-up this poster which provided the answer.

thanks ,and if none of you have never taken a trip to Wolfgangs Vault, it is a must, I spend to much time in the Vault