People
Lucille, 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…
Read MoreLook 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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Red Shed Tapes Podcast, Episode 3 Transcript
One Man Gathers What Another Man Spills: McMenamins History Department
Title lyric from the Grateful Dead’s “St. Stephen” SPEAKERS: Shannon McMenamin, Tim Hills, Mike McMenamin, Jon Smart, Brian McMenamin, Poison Waters, Elysia Scholl, and Caitlin Popp With archival audio including James Brown, Lyle Hehn, Kolieha Bush, Poison Waters and Bruce Maccabee I. Historical Pit Stop: A James Brown Story Kind of Explains It All 0:00…
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McMenamins Podcast Transcript
The Red Shed Tapes
Episode 2: 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…
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McMenamins Podcast Transcript
The Red Shed Tapes
Episode 1: Long, Strange Trip
SPEAKERS Mike McMenamin, Shannon McMenamin, Thursday Jane, Brian McMenamin, Patrick McNurney Shannon McMenamin 00:00 Hi, I’m Shannon McMenamin, host of The Red Shed Tapes and part of the leadership team running our family owned company. Growing up, my dad always drove a van; my brothers and I spent a lot of time rolling around in…
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McMenamins Podcast Transcript
The Red Shed Tapes
Trailer
I’m Shannon McMenamin, host of The Red Shed Tapes. Growing up, my dad always drove a van; my brothers and I spent a lot of time rolling around in the back of those vans. In the center between the bucket seats, he always had a cassette holder full of bootlegs of Grateful Dead shows. They…
Read MoreHal Finkelstein
Hal was always running around like crazy, with a big, warm greeting for everybody. You could hear him from across the restaurant. It wasn’t just that his voice carried throughout the place. You felt him buzzing around! Hal Finkelstein couldn’t make an enemy, even if he tried. Earnest and genuine with a mischievous twinkle in…
Read MoreWhat Precedes a Blue Moon? The House of Wisdom
Resonance from the Festival – March 2001 Before the light of the McMenamins Blue Moon illuminated the intersection of NW 21st and Glisan, and even before the commercial building was constructed there in the 1910s, there stood proudly the home of Andrew and Sarah Johnston, later the House of Wisdom. Records have revealed a surprising,…
Read MoreWalter Cole, aka: Darcelle
Portland’s beloved, original drag queen superstar Darcelle passed away last week at the age of 92. Darcelle paved the way for generations of LGBTQ+ performers and activists and created a strong community that changed mainstream culture. Darcelle opened doors for public acceptance, respect and celebration of LGBTQ+ people everywhere. Her nightclub, Darcelle XV, opened in…
Read MoreThe Amazing Life of Hugh O’Kane
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! McMenamins Old St. Francis School in Bend, Oregon has a pub named after Hugh O’Kane, a daring Irishman with a life story so unbelievable, it could be a blockbuster movie. O’Kane was born in 1854 at Bushmills, County Antrim, Ireland, just around the corner from the Bushmills Distillery. As a youngster,…
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