OT 25 years ago, Portlanders packed nightclubs, embraced protests: 1997 in pictures

Up Front FX was the best, man. Pre drinking at Lotus or Hung Far Low.

Wednesday night foam parties in the summer!

 

I was there one time when a shooting happened. It was pure pandemonium.

 

I used to go to like Dixie, Barracuda, shit a bunch of other clubs that I’m brain farting the name of…

but anyways they were all in the general vicinity of each other. We’d go there to chase tail and it was a dance club where me and the homies would just stand around and drink but they always would want to go back. I preferred dive bars. I had much better luck there and it was more my scene.

I don’t go to bars anymore unless it’s an occasional Bloody Mary and breakfast at the dive bar down the street. But that’s not very often.

 

Back in the day, the cattle company on Mcloughlin, Copper Penny and the refectory were my jams. haha. Yep mainly a group of guys standing around, all to shy to go ask any girls to dance.

 

McFaddens was my favorite.

I liked going to the dance clubs too but agree with you that bars were soooooo much better at picking up ladies.

 

The refectory was awesome. I was sad when they closed that down. Used to watch UFC fights there too.

 

Dukes was a great place to go too. Sad they closed it down.

 

oh yeah Dukes. I remember going there quite a bit

 

I had just moved to The ATL Portland was tame by comparison.

 

Late 90s, I was only in Portland Summers and Christmas/Thanksgiving.

It was a trip seeing Portland nightlife.

Barracuda was fun. It was Banana Joe's before?

We would Aura too. Betty Fords. Probably more the 2000s.

 

Greek Cusina. One day we went there and told all the girls my cousins were moving back to the Philippines the next day. All hell broke loose. Did the same at the Acrop.

 

I remember Pal's Shanty in Milwaukie. Great place!

 

In Eugene we used to go the the Vets lounge, the Wild Duck for Thursday night blues jams, Chez Ray's, the WOW hall and that was my circle of pubs until I started bartending summers ...bartending always put me off going to bars in my free time.....now haven't been in one for many years. The WOW hall didn't have an age limit upstairs so I'd take my son and his buddies to concerts there and go to the basement pub and drink while the kids enjoyed the show upstairs...good times. Also would go to the jazz club downtown Joe Feds..sometimes or the U of O and watch the students play jazz for 5 bucks or so.

 

Last time I was there I saw Grady Tate ...a harp player from the south that was the real deal...guy could play.....they get a lot of blues acts..

 

My dads good friend has owned a bar right by Autzen in Eugene for years and made bank on it. I think he sold it within the past 5-10 years but it was real popular with the students.

My dads about 5’9” and he likes telling the story about how he was at the bar and grabbed a couple beers turned around and Blair Rasmussens ass was right in his face.

 

That's a prime location...great story!