Port City Music Hall
January 28, 2009 -
Hey District 8,
As many of you know, a great new music venue has been under construction on Congress Street for a while now, and Port City Music Hall has opened its doors. While it stands to be a great addition to Portland's night life, it is encountering a few problems.
One of the issues, as you may know, is the 18+ audience and the licensing needed for it. The Port City Music Hall built their business around obtaining an Auditorium License which allows 18+ to enter. Meanwhile, a Class A Lounge liquor license is for only 21+.
On Thursday afternoon, I received a call from Rob Evon from Port City Music Hall. I had never meet Rob, but he quickly got me up to speed on the challenges PCMH was having getting their liquor license. That night I went down to PCMH to meet Rob and Dave, the other owner, and take a tour of the new space. (It is awesome!) On Friday, I spent several hours working with a State Liquor Inspector to forge a solution, which turned out to be getting Port City Music Hall a temporary Class A Lounge liquor license. On Saturday, PCMH finally got its temporary Class A Lounge license.
I've heard from a lot of young people around the area about the need for making PCMH an 18+ venue. Here are some of their comments:
"Please continue your efforts to keep the Port City Music hall 18+. I attend roughly 40 concerts annually and, unfortunately, many of these are out of state because the bands I am interested in seeing, namely those bands who appeal to my age group, avoid the area due to the dearth of age-appropriate venues."
"I play bass in a several jazz groups as well as a funk band, Music means a lot to me, especially live. Regrettably, there are not many music venues in Portland that address my age and my musical tastes. I see Port City as a light at the end of the tunnel."
"I am a 16 year old who would not even be able to enjoy this venue for over a year and a half. I strongly believe it would stimulate the economy and help local artists. We've already lost most local venues that did all ages, or would do all ages more often. Since I was 9, I've been going to these local shows and they've helped me as a person, I've been waiting for the day I could turn 18 and 21 so I could finally go to more shows."
These are young people committed to seeing their interests flourish in Portland, and are concerned that a venue they are placing so much hope in will not admit them. Making diverse national and regional acts available to the 18+ crowd is critical to keeping young people engaged and living in the city.
I am committed to helping this new small business succeed in Portland. This music venue is an awesome addition to the Portland arts and cultural scene. PCMH fills the gap of attracting more national acts to Portland left when The State Theater closed down a few years ago. Portland lacks sufficient venues open to the 18+ demographic.
On Tuesday afternoon, I met with several State Liquor Enforcement Representatives and Rep. Anne Haskell, the co-chair of Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, to get a better sense of PCMH's options. The reality is, an Auditorium License isn't suited for Port City Music Hall. The reason is their configuration, specifically no permanent seating, does not meet the standards for that license. Yet, not is all lost for the 18+ crowd. Portland City Music Hall can build a kitchen to obtain a license that would allow all ages into PCMH anytime. A big thanks to the State Liquor Enforcement Team for forging a solution and briefing me on all available options, and to the City of Portland's City Clerk's Office for their efforts.
Speaking with Rob today, building a kitchen seems to be the path they will explore, because they are committed to opening their doors to the 18+ crowd.
-Justin
