Portland, OR Recording/Music Scene...

[PLAbass]

Hello,

I've been planning a move from the Baltimore/Annapolis area to Portland in the very near future. I was just wondering if there is anyone around that might have some insight as to the current recording scene in the area.
Cool studios in the area? I know of Jackpot! (Larry Crane and the crew there are responsible for a lot of the work I admire) and a couple others but google can only take me so far.
Let me know if you're an engineer in the area and I'll buy you a drink once I get out there!


Thanks for taking the time,

-Nate

[Meriphew]

Check out Kung Fu Bakery.

[Sonicvalley]

Kung Fu is a great place, you can also check out the studio that i work, Alpha Studios, in salem. the music/recording scene is definitely different around here.

[8th_note]

I have a small home studio where I record mostly unsigned bands in Vancouver (suburb of Portland across the river).

I would call the music scene vibrant here. More venues are opening up all the time (along with some closing down) and there's plenty of studios. Beyond that I can't comment on the studio scene much because the only one I've been to is the old Jackpot! location.

I'd be glad to get together for a beer when you get into town. On the TapeOp board in the Hookups section there is an occassional Portland get together. That's another place to watch.

[amost]

Dead Aunt Thelma's is a cool little place...yo Dean!

[bcgood]

I've been wanting to move up to Portland for some time now. I'm just looking for the right opportunity so that I can make everything work. Portland seems like a really cool city. I love the sound of Kieskagato, You Are The, Only One Who Can. Great sounding album recorded at Jackpot.

www.myspace.com/kieskagato

bcgood

[PLAbass]

Thanks everyone for the recommendations! 8th note - You are buddy listed and I will definitely hit you up when I make it over.
It's tough to determine what an area is like without actually living there but so far it's very encouraging. I really look forward to struggling in the Portland music scene. Struggling in the Baltimore/D.C. music scene has lost it's luster.


-Nate

[nikki-k]

Portland is a city of Art. It is also one of the most laid-back cities ever, and is VERY friendly.

As an example...

My Dad and step-mom came out to visit. He is a jazz musician. I told them we would have to hit Jimmy Mak's, a very cool local jazz club. Plus, I told him we had to go on a Tues. Mel Brown's septet hops on @ 8pm. We got there at 7pm, and had dinner while a 14-year old blind pianist plays. Obviously classicly trained, he was branching out...and doing so well. The septet hops on, and they are smokin. About 5-7 mins into the first song, the guy leading the band that night waves people up. Teenagers- from about 12/13 to 20 line up on each side of the stage, instruments in hand. And they were incredible. Among the kids is...the 14-year old, but this time with a tenor sax in tow. Damn he could play. My Dad was speechless, eyes wide, jaw on the floor. After that song, an older jazz guy got up and simply sung his a$$ off. Incredible. But he wasn't done there...he borrows the trumpet guy's trumpet, brings the mood down, nice n quiet, and starts to rip. Slow, very soft...quick trills, slowly bringin it back up. And then just blew us away. Incredible, incredible, incredible.

Portland also has a weekend flea market, Saturday Market, that has live bands. We also have a "town center," Pioneer Courthouse Square. They regularly have live music (along with a "sit in movie" thing every week in summer, for free). Plus, we have some kind of festival most weeks/weekends throughout the spring/summer/fall.

Clubs everywhere, and you cannot go for too long without seeing someone carrying a guitar, bass, violin, cello, etc. Musicians and artists are more common than a three-piece suited businessman (or woman). Tons of recording studios, alot of them being "project studio" types.

However, unemployment is also, unfortunately, a bit high here. Only other US city I would want to live in would be Boston. Portland has to be the number one friendliest city with this high a population though. Live and let live. Tons of trees and such as well.

(can you tell I love my city? )

[KungFuLio]

Enjoy your move out here.

The music scene here is good but cliquey. I'm lobbying hard against that. The jazz scene is strong, perhaps a bit too strong for a market this size. I hear constant complaining from musicians that the good paying gigs are few and far between, and these are the top musicians in town.

Portland is a progressive town. THis is good if you like to live and let live. The downside is we are taxed and fee'ed beyond recognition. It is an unfriendly business environment. Several musicians live in Vancouver, WA, a mid-sized town across the Columbia River from Portland.

If you don't mind paying lots o' business taxes on top of a 9% personal income tax, and relatively high property taxes then come on out. Oh yeah, there's that personal property tax you pay on all gear that you own in the making of your livelyhood. i.e. I pay close to $5000 a year on studio gear as personal property tax. Many musicians in town avoid this tax, but I've seen a few musicians and studios get hit with it and it's pretty sad when it happens.

On the bright side, it could be, on beauty alone, the best place in the country to live. There are serious hiking and mountain biking trails within the city limits. There is an extensive system for bicycle commuting. The beach is 90 minutes away and there is good skiing from November to May 60 minutes away. If your kinda rich, you can get a waterfront condo with property tax abatement for 10 years. Which brings up one other upside, if you own property it's still headed up at double digits per year even though the rest of the country is off. I guess that's a downside if you're moving here though. Property is expensive. ... but not San Francisco expensive.

Studios are plenty. Again, maybe saturated for the market. The aforementioned Kung Fu Bakery and Dead Aunt Thelma's are great and usually booked 2 to 3 months out. Other studios in town to check out are Big Red, Falcon, Supernatural and a few others. All the above have great staff engineers and welcome independents. I myself am an independent that's worked at several of these rooms and I currently have all my gear in the B room at Kung Fu Bakery.

There is a lot of national ad work available in town. There is still a reasonable call for live studio musicians. If you can read and play to a click and groove you can work. You'll have to hustle but you can work. If you're more a performer, there are plenty of venues. Some ethical and some not. That's pretty much the case in every town. Competition is fierce and it's growing some very talented musicians.

Anyhoo, contact me when you come out and all this can be discussed further, or PM me with questions, or check me on myspace here.

[DeathMonkey]

I like going to Portland - my band plays there quite a bit. If you come up to Seattle, holla!