Music
Isaka Shamsud-Din 1940-2025
Isaka Shamsud-Din was an artist, activist, and educator known for his rich murals, paintings, and community projects in Portland. Much of his work celebrates the cultures of African Americans and people of the African Diaspora.
Read MoreLucille, Leonora, and the Ringler’s Dance Card
In 2023, native Portlander Lucille Pierce, born in 1921, found a slice of local history among her family keepsakes and kindly shared the artifact with McMenamins. While going through her late mother’s belongings, Lucille discovered a punch card for dance lessons at Ringler’s Dancing Academy at the Cotillion Hall, signed by Montrose Ringler, himself! Lucille…
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The Red Shed Tapes Podcast, Episode 4 Transcript
Look for Something Built to Last
Red Shed Tapes, Episode 4 Title lyric from Grateful Dead’s “Built to Last” Shannon McMenamin (00:02) You’re listening to the Red Shed Tapes, and I’m your host Shannon McMenamin. This episode is about objects, both big and small – as in the physical things inside our pubs and hotels – cool old stuff! You might find…
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The Red Shed Tapes Podcast, Episode 2 Transcript
Let There be Songs to Fill the Air
SPEAKERS Shannon McMenamin, Mike McMenamin, Jimi Biron, Scott Avett, Dan McMenamin, Tim Hills Shannon McMenamin 00:06 You’re listening to The Red Shed Tapes, and I’m your host Shannon McMenamin. Today we’re talking about music, one of my all-time favorite topics. Music has always played a big part in my life, serving as a backdrop for…
Read MoreNo-No Boy: A Journey Through History, Music, and Sound
Music can be a key into another place and time. For No-No Boy, songs contain clues to follow, like a sonic time capsule. Portland-based singer, songwriter, and scholar Julian Saporiti is the mind and heart behind No-No Boy. This music-meets-history project is the manifestation of Julian’s doctorate dissertation at Brown University, from where he holds…
Read MoreThe Roots, the Crystal Ballroom, and the James Brown Connection
The Roots are playing McMenamins Crystal Ballroom in Portland on February 21st. Can you believe it? It’s nothing short of magical when such a wildly popular and acclaimed band plays the Crystal. Compared with larger stages, such as Edgefield’s outdoor amphitheater (which the Roots played in 2019), the experience of seeing a huge artist in…
Read MoreAni DiFranco at the Crystal Ballroom – June 30th, 2022
Ani DiFranco delivered a profound and spirited performance at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon on June 30th—returning to the historic McMenamins venue. She played songs from her latest record, Revolutionary Love, along with plenty of early favorites. The place was packed with Ani superfans, from old schoolers who grew up with Ani in the…
Read MoreBad Bad Hats, The Ophelias at McMenamins Mission Theater
Bad Bad Hats, a rising indie-pop rock trio from Minneapolis, put on an energetic and joyful show at McMenamins Mission Theater in NW Portland on Wednesday, May 25th. The opening band, the Ophelias, brought their playfully dark baroque-rock from Cincinnati and were the perfect musical foil to the sunny Bad Bad Hats. Bad Bad Hats…
Read MoreA New Mission for The Mission Theater
April brings about a change in the season, and for us it brings about a change in our McMenamins music world. At the end of April the Mission Theater will be transforming from a live event and music venue to a first run movie theater. While we are excited to re-open our doors with this…
Read MorePJ Harvey: The Dark Evoker of the Beautiful written by Tara Nicole Golden
Written by Tara Nicole Golden, Photos by Kat Nyberg Sometimes it is best to walk into something without any expectations or even knowledge. That was how I approached this PJ Harvey show at The Crystal Ballroom. I had heard PJ’s music before, and appreciated it, but although I have seen her albums in stores for…
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