I’m spending a month in Portland, OR and checking out the Open Mic scene. I’ll be posting my experiences here and hopefully some recordings of me playing once I get my bearings.

After the zero that was Rock Hard PDX (see previous post), I decided to keep the night alive and head over to the “Triple Nickel Pub”. I arrived a bit late into the set, but I think I got a good feel for the Open Mic.

This is a good sized venue with pool tables and big-screen TV’s. The Open Mic is held on a stage off to the side of the bar in what looks like a DJ/dance-floor area. It’s a nice PA setup with the host running sound and providing solid levels and FX for instruments and vocals.

It was a small crowd (~10 people) but, admittedly, I arrived near the end of the open mic. The crowd (mostly fellow musicians) were supportive and appreciative of performers of all skill levels. As a 21+ venue, the performers I saw had clearly been playing for a while and sounded good to excellent.

It was a fairly subdued atmosphere largely to the lack of people in the bar and open mic area. It would have been nice to see a few more people in the venue, but I’ll be back to check this one out for it’s full schedule.

Triple Nickel Pub
3646 SE Belmont St.
Portland, OR 97214
503-234-7215
Open Mic : Tue 8-11PM