A Brief History of Poison Waters Poison Waters is first and foremost an entertainer. Her whip smart humor fuels the side-splitting laughter of her audiences. But she’s also wise, an advocate for many and specifically for Black and LGBTQ+ rights, dispensing advice like, “The Three E’s: Entertain, Educate and Embrace Differences, because everybody we come…
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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…
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Everyone knows George Washington, founding father and first president of the United States. But this is the story of another George Washington, a former Black slave and trailblazing pioneer who, in 1875, overcame incredible obstacles to become the founding father of Centralia, Washington—the largest city founded by an African American of the era. George was…
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The first part of our dive into the song, “Louie Louie” by the Kingsmen (recorded next to the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR) was the infamous story of the FBI investigation into the lyrics of this rock & roll hit from 1963. Dig a little deeper, and there’s even more drama to uncover. After the…
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“I want a poignant moment, or a heartfelt substance, in a sea of laughs,” says Jay Flewelling, host of the BYO Storytelling Show at Al’s Den, the basement venue within McMenamins Crystal Hotel, in downtown Portland. Every first Wednesday of the month, Jay selects a talented array of comedic performers to tell their personal, true,…
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Lyle Hehn 1958 – 2022 If you know Hammerhead and Ruby, you know Lyle Hehn. If you’ve seen the Satin the Cat, myriad jesters, or most of our beer labels, you are familiar with Lyle. If you’ve met Lola Baldwin or Umbrella Jimmy, you’ve met Lyle. Lyle was an artist for McMenamins until his death…
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McMenamins Crystal Hotel is filled with imaginative artwork that brings to life musicians who performed on stage at the Crystal Ballroom in downtown Portland over the last century. The story behind this painting by Jonathan Case is one of the most notorious tales of rock & roll history. If you’ve never heard the Kingsmen’s song,…
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Happy 86th birthday to McMenamins Old St. Francis School in Bend, Oregon! In 1936, St. Francis School was established as the first parochial school in Central Oregon. For 64 years, the school provided Catholic education from Kindergarten through 8th grade at this location. Then in 2000, the school community moved to a newly built modern…
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Happy birthday to Northeast Portland’s McMenamins Kennedy School! The building itself turns 107 and McMenamins is also celebrating the 25th anniversary of the landmark school’s renovation and reopening. Come join the big fun and festivities on Saturday, November 12th! The Kennedy Elementary School building opened in 1915, which was a welcome replacement for the small,…
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Over 100 years of history have granted the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon, with something of a mythology all its own. The Crystal’s psychedelic heyday in the late 1960s lives on in the fantastic, surreal murals throughout the Ballroom and the enduring musical influence of the classic bands who played there. It’s funny to…
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