After more than two decades in business, the Ash Street Saloon will officially close its doors following a final show New Year’s Eve. It’s another casualty in the city’s ever-changing landscape; there’s still no new tenant ready to take over the space, but it’s safe to bet it won’t be another music venue.
Though the downtown watering hole might not have the cool factor of clubs like the Blackbird and Satyricon (which closed in 2003 and 2010, respectively), Ash Street’s community extends well beyond the city’s music scenes. It’s always been a slightly grimier alternative, especially over the past decade, as Portland’s grit has been scrubbed away by shiny high-rises, hip breweries, and upscale eateries.
Since opening on Halloween of 1994, it’s remained a sort of rock ’n’ roll boot camp for local bands. The Grammy-nominated Portugal. The Man played their first show at Ash Street, and Red Fang cut their teeth there before breaking through. Heatmiser, Dead Moon, Richmond Fontaine, Cool Nutz, and hundreds of other Portland groups also ripped up the Ash stage, along with notable out-of-towners like Macklemore and Flipper.
With Ash Street regularly hosting shows seven nights a week and covers that rarely exceed five bucks, some shows are bound to be duds. But it’s hard to think of another venue that’s as welcoming to acts from any genre.
“I inherited a process,” says Barret Stolte, who’s worked at Ash Street since 2011 and has booked shows there for nearly five years. “You’ve got to keep an open mind, or it won’t work. I hear people [say] playing Ash Street is like getting thrown back down to the minor leagues. And it’s like, man, they’re taking it as though we’re trying to be the thing they’re criticizing us for not being. It’s silly.”
The venue recently hosted a wake for fallen punk hero Fred Cole of Dead Moon and Pierced Arrows. Now, for its final week, Ash Street’s putting on six genre-specific shows (it’ll also have a garage sale January 9, for those who want to buy the club’s art, furniture, signs, and dishes). After that, it’s all gone.