According to this Fox 12 report, the shadowy cabal that is the OLCC has been “considering pulling the liquor license of Portland’s famous Crystal Ballroom.” This move would severely jeopardize the future of the long-running downtown institution that splits their showspace between mixed ages, yet still clearly relies on the income that comes with serving alcohol.
The report cites a Tribune piece that mentions “excessive noise, public drunkenness, fights and public urination” in connection with the club. Fox 12 also mentions “there was also a shooting outside the concert hall Sept. 13,” which our records show was the same night as a Government Mule (!) concert.
We reached out to the venue for a response and we’ll let you know what we hear.
End Hits: Bar prices be damned, we like drinking at the Crystal.
Ooo! Can we restart the argument about whether there should be booze at shows? I’ve never been to a better example of the “no” position than the Crystal, when they split the room in half. The bar side is full of drunken yahoos, screaming at each other, the band, and into their cell phones, while the window side is actually enjoying the you know, musical part of the show (without being buttholes).
I think it is time to pull the OLCC’s license…
No booze Crystal? It closes in 2 months if that happens.
If this forces someone to create a better venue than the Crystal, I kinda wish it would happen.
Maybe we should just ban Government Mule. Terrible band, awful name.
Ditto what Commenty Colin said. I can’t count how many shows I’ve been to at the Crystal where the drunk idiots won’t shut up.
There’s an argument over whether there should be booze at shows?? That’s crazy – you must only go to GOOD shows. There’s a lot of bands out there that…well, the booze really helps me enjoy them.
Stop the split room all ages madness. Then redo the room to sound halfway decent, my $.02.
@D I’d be happy if they just didn’t oversell the venue and quit expanding the VIP section to take up even more room so 13 friends of the band and 3 people who won tickets on the radio could stand in a space big enough for 200 people to stand.
Screw McMenamins, their measured pours, and their mediocre beer that they control manufacture and shipping of yet still charge more for than other micros.
I wouldn’t know. I only stand in the VIP section.
WHAT. #lies
Every show I’ve seen there has been an absolute mess…and I’m talking about inside the ballroom.
Indeed, the all-ages side is the only decent place to see the music.
On the 21+ side? Fifteen minute lines for shitty beer, barely enough room to shove through the cranky / aggro crowd, long lines to get up to the balcony…it’s just unpleasant.
I get my hopes up for a good show and end up squinting and straining to get a glimpse of a band member or two. And I’m not especially short! If the sight lines of a big flat floor suck for me, at 5’10”, I feel bad for the shorter folks out there.
I’d also like to point out that the bouncers are often dickish, and the no reentry policy sucks too. The Crystal Ballroom makes me loathe mankind!
The only thing worse than not drinking at a rock and roll show is trying to drink at the Crystal Ballroom.
@ Joneser: Whoa, whoa whoa. I’m not advocating not being drunk at shows, just maybe doing away with alcohol sales at shows. I want to cut out the yahoos who seem to think a show = a Panama City Senor Frog’s in March, and I think that’s the best way to do it. Clearly, high ticket prices and high booze prices aren’t achieving that goal at the Crystal, and most other large venues.
Are you all lost? Go to any other city, you dont find this type of brilliance in an establishment. Good grief does anyone care about care free, mess stuff up fun anymore? I guess not.
To those who go to shows and don’t drink, understand that those who do imbibe are actively subsidizing your ticket price. Would you really want to pay 10-15 dollars more to go to a no drinking show?
Remember what happened when the la luna lost their license? They turned that place into an office building. It used to be the best place to see a 750-1500 person show in pdx, now it is where someone slogs file folders around…
You teetotalers are idiots.
What about that white bike out side????
What was their name??
I wonder if the olcc infractions include lola’s room and the other bars sharing the building. I think a fair share of the problems stem from the bar (sorry i’m not sure of the name) that is downstairs and faces burnside. Seems like that bar caters more to nightclub types and has been where i’ve witnessed problems. Other than a crowded floor and bad sound i haven’t witnessed anything that was unusually bad in the Crystal during shows. If their liquor license was revoked fewer bands would play the venue and you would just have to go somewhere else in town that serves liquor to view shows anyway.
The shooting that happend back in September was a Saturday night ( 12:30 am Sunday ) , the Government Mule show was Sunday night ! So no link between that showand the shooting for those who were not present !