Punk venues close.
The Know (on Alberta Street) in Portland, Oregon has closed. This was primarily a punk/hardcore bar and opened in 2005, which is quite impressive for a punk bar. They threw a final set of shows titled "Know End In Sight" and the list of shows was impressive for a rather small venue that only holds about 100 people. While there are other punk venues in Portland that have opened and closed since 2000 I would have to believe that The Know has been the most meaningful. They put on probably 2500 shows for local and out of town bands mostly in the punk and hardcore variety.
The Thermals, Mean Jeans, Dirty Fences, Fred & Toody (Dead Moon), Divers, Blowout, Arctic Flowers, and Fashionism were just a few of the bands who played the final set of shows at The Know.
I went back to Portland for Thanksgiving and luck would have it Red Dons, Public Eye, Dark/Light, and The Stops were playing The Know the day after Thanksgiving.
The line was long when I showed up around 7:30. The line was not as long as the trendy Ice Cream shop across from The Know. That specific line also did not decrease much throughout the night. Alberta Street has become a very hip area in Portland joining the ranks of Mississippi Street, Pearl District, Chinatown (home to another closed Punk venue The Satyricon), Division/Clinton, and Hawthorne. With the popularity comes increased lease prices and in 2014 The Know signed a 2 year lease. That lease ended and the landlord increased their rent 150% so The Know decided not to renew.
The show started and The Stops started. The venue was full. They played and ripped. The lead singer said the show was "bittersweet" as The Know is going to be opening a new location in the next few months. She also said she was very excited to be playing with Red Dons. Good set of punk-pop overall.
Next up was Dark/Light. This band was really impressive as they played their brand of, I guess I would call it, jazzy style northwest wipers punk. Unique timing, dope bass lines, sing-along choruses. The singer also gave out a "Fuck Trump" which is always good to hear at a punk show. The crowd danced and it was a good set.
Third up was Public Eye. Now it has always been my opinion at a punk show that going third on a four band bill is usually the best spot. The crowd in this spot during the night has good energy. No one has left by this point as it is still early enough in the night. Public Eye is a rather popular Portland band and this was my the second time catching them in the past 6 months. The lead singer (who plays guitar in the popular indie band Wild Ones) gives off a bit of the too cool vibe which is not necessarily my favorite style, but the ladies in the crowd seemed to be eating it up. The band played all of the songs off their EP as well as a few new songs. They ended the set with, in my opinion, the best song released this year, "I Wont Go." The crowd sang along. Great set.
Finally, Red Dons were up. While waiting in line for the restroom I talked to Douglas Burns a bit and he told me this was the only show they have played all year and he just had a kid. Red Dons have a huge catalog of songs. They played a bit of something from many of their albums. But at this point in the night I was a bit drunk and don't have the clearest memory of all the songs they played, but I do believe they played standouts, Pariah, This City, Pyrrhic Pyrrhic, Dead Ender, Walk Alone. These are truly great songs and it was a great time getting to hear them again in a live setting.
The final show at The Know, a couple of days later, was a benefit for Standing Rock and according to facebook they ended up raising $1,248. That is pretty sweet and is why a place like the The Know has had a lasting place in Portland. They will be opening up a new venue in a few months where touring and local bands will get to play and crowds will create lasting memories.
Punk venues open.