Holocene (Portland, Oregon)

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Holocene
Holocene logo.png
Logo
Holocene in portland (cropped).jpg
The exterior in 2016
Downtown Portland.png
Red pog.svg
Holocene
Location in Portland, Oregon
Address1001 SE Morrison Street
Location Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Coordinates 45°31′02″N122°39′20″W / 45.5173°N 122.6555°W / 45.5173; -122.6555
Type
OpenedJune 2003 (2003-06)
Website
holocene.org

Holocene is a music venue and nightclub in the Buckman neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The venue, which opened in June 2003, is a former auto-parts warehouse with an industrial, modern interior. Holocene hosts a variety of events, and was named the city's "Best Place to Dance" by Willamette Week readers in 2017.

Contents

Description and history

Holocene was established in June 2003 in a former auto-parts warehouse, located at the intersection of Southeast 10th and Morrison, in Portland's Buckman neighborhood. [1] [2] The venue is "dedicated to the avant-garde of the Portland art and music scene, with an über-modern interior". [3] [4] Jon Shadel of The Washington Post described Holocene as a "music and art club with an avant-garde bent... inspired by the minimal techno scene in Berlin". [5] He wrote, "the bi-level venue in the Central Eastside hosts an eclectic range of independent DJs and genre-blurring musicians, although most lineups tend to focus on up-and-coming sounds in electronic, R&B and hip-hop." [5]

The 5,000-square-foot [6] venue has a "stark industrial feel" with two large rooms, a bar, high ceilings [7] and a sunken dance floor, which has been described as a "living room in the midst of a gritty industrial loft". [4] [8] According to Willamette Week 's Sophie June, Holocene offers "boozy slushies" and "indie-rock shows that often tend toward the psychedelic or the threateningly abrasive". [1] The bar has cocktails called Claire's Knee and Kiss Kiss Bangkok. [1]

In 2020, Holocene curated Going In, a twenty-track compilation featuring local electronic musicians. The collection raised funds for contributing artists and the venue during the coronavirus pandemic. [9]

Events

The venue hosts a variety of events, ranging from concerts to weddings. [10] According to Willamette Week's Sophie June, Holocene "began as one of the only spots to bring national-caliber electronic acts to Portland following the fast demise of the B Complex". [1] In her guides to Portland, Rachel Dresbeck said the venue hosts many "musical experiences—secret shows by famous artists, up-and-coming bands that will be famous shortly, veteran and nouveau DJs, house music, shoegaze, modern soul, and other musical attractions keeping hipsters crowding the place". [3] [4]

The Builders and the Butchers performing at Holocene in 2007 The Builders and the Butchers.jpg
The Builders and the Butchers performing at Holocene in 2007

Musicians who have performed at Holocene include Against the Current, [11] Lauren Aquilina, [12] Au/Ra, [13] Beach Fossils, [14] Ryan Beatty, [15] Kadhja Bonet, [16] Clairo, [17] Crumb, [18] Matthew Dear, [19] Duckwrth, [20] Future Generations, [21] Tommy Genesis, [22] Chuck Inglish, [23] Japanese Breakfast, [24] The Japanese House, [25] Jonna Lee, [26] Milk & Bone, [27] Shy Girls, [28] Sasha Sloan, [12] Snail Mail, [29] Tove Styrke, [13] Avey Tare, [30] and Zaytoven. [31] The venue hosted London Grammar's first concert in Portland. [28] In 2018, Holocene hosted a "Club Kai Kai Pride" event featuring drag performer Aja. The event was part of the "Club Kai Kai" series, which caters to the LGBTQ community and features "a rave-style club scene with plenty of drag royalty, voguing and butterflies for the stomach". [32] The venue has also hosted writers, including Shayla Lawson. [33] In 2019, the Portland-based literary magazine Tin House hosted an event in conjunction with the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference, featuring readings by Hanif Abdurraqib, Erica Dawson, Morgan Parker, and Tommy Pico. [34] [35]

Monthly events include "Double Down" (described as a "hot and sweaty queer-friendly dance party") [8] and "Slay", a "queer-centric" hip-hop event catering to an "intersectional crowd". [7] Recurring dance events include "Cupcake" ("devoted to 'fat folks and allies'") [36] and "Snap!", a 1990s music party "designed to evoke middle-school dances". [4] [37] Others include "Candi Pop" (bubblegum pop), [38] "Emo Nite", [39] "Gaycation", [28] [40] [41] a Rolling Stones–themed party called "Sympathy for the Disco", [42] and another dedicated to Talking Heads. [43] The venue hosted StorySLAM monthly as of 2018. [44]

Holocene hosted the "Ping Pong Pandemonium Party" in mid-2010; participants included Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney. [45] More recent tribute events have included "Beyoncé Nicki Rihanna Night", "Holla!: '90s vs Early '00s Rap & RNB Night", [46] "This Party Is Killing You: All Robyn All Night" [47] and "Cake for Drake", where cake was served for Drake's birthday. [1] In 2018, the venue was decorated to resemble the Sunnydale nightclub from Buffy the Vampire Slayer as part of a Halloween celebration [48] and hosted Jo Ann Hardesty's election-results viewing party. [49] Holocene hosted Girl Fest the following year, [50] [51] and was one of several venues screening films as part of the Portland Oregon Women's Film Festival (POW Fest). [52]

Reception

In 2003, The Oregonian 's Grant Butler wrote, "Holocene is anything but a hollow scene. The name of this cavernous eastside nightclub isn't an ironic statement about the state of Portland's nightlife. In fact, it relates to a prehistoric geological era. Maybe there's some deep meaning at work, but what's certain is how rock-solid this place is as an after-hours hangout." [53] He said Holocene hosted Bill Shannon's post-performance party during the Time-Based Art Festival, and wrote of the venue:

Even when there's not a party going on, Holocene has sexy allure. DJs spin electronic magic while projected digital images fill the two-story walls. As cocktails flow, sleek-looking and elegantly garnished dishes come out of the kitchen. Back in the smoking lounge, smartly dressed scenesters lounge on puffy couches and drink in that room's ever-changing art installation. [53]

David Greenwald of The Oregonian wrote in 2014, "If there's a dance party in Portland, it's probably happening at Holocene, which is routinely home to laptop experimenters, DJs spinning hip-hop classics and LGBT-friendly events such as the monthly Gaycation." [28] Queerty included the venue on its 2016 "5 Nightlife Gems You Can Only Find in Portland" list. [40] Willamette Week readers named Holocene the city's "Best Place to Dance" in 2017. [10] The newspaper's Sophie June wrote:

Holocene is maybe the best spot to go for some bump-and-grind—especially outside the Old Town zone. There's a photo booth and tall white ceilings, and it's really one of the only appropriate places in the city to do Molly on a random Saturday night. Beware that it's sweaty and you'll probably see the younger sibling of someone you went to high school with, which isn't always great. [1]

In 2018, Willamette Week's Walker MacMurdo wrote: "Fifteen years in, whether Holocene is hosting a dream-pop trio, a live podcast or its birthday party for Drake, it still feels like the coolest place in Portland." [2] According to the newspaper's Shannon Gormley, Holocene "feels like an intimate warehouse party on any given night". [7] Willamette Week has also reported that the venue "regularly feels like a warehouse party if warehouse parties were kind of cozy." [54] In his 2019 local guide of Portland, The Washington Post's Jon Shadel wrote, "Among concert halls in Portland, Holocene presents the most timely survey of the local scene. And with a calendar full of themed dance nights — such as the queer- and BIPOC-focused Slay — there's something going on nearly every night of the week." [5] Holocene earned second place in the "Best Place to Dance" category of Willamette Week's "Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2020". [55] It won in the same category in 2025. [56]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 June, Sophia (May 23, 2017). "Holocene Is an Art-Rock Bar That's Not Afraid to Bump and Grind". Willamette Week . Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  2. 1 2 MacMurdo, Walker (June 9, 2018). "Fifteen Years in, Holocene Still Feels Like the Coolest Place in Portland". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Dresbeck, Rachel. Portland, Oregon: Including the Metro Area and Vancouver, Washington (6th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 99. ISBN   9780762755806 . Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Dresbeck, Rachel (March 1, 2017). Insiders' Guide to Portland, Oregon. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 89. ISBN   9781493028221 . Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 Shadel, Jon. "A local's guide to Portland, Ore". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Venue Info". Holocene. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 Gormley, Shannon (June 12, 2018). "Five Queer-Centric Dance Parties in Portland". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  8. 1 2 McCollom, Hollyanna (May 10, 2016). Moon Portland. Avalon Publishing. p. 174. ISBN   9781631212796 . Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  9. ↑ Bromfield, Daniel (April 23, 2020). "Holocene Gave Local Electronic Artists a Pack of Samples and 48 Hours to Make Songs for a Fundraising Compilation". Willamette Week. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  10. 1 2 Kilts, Alie (July 12, 2017). "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2017". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  11. ↑ LaPlante, Brad (February 18, 2019). "Against The Current add Chapel, Armors to 'Past Lives' North American tour". Substream Magazine. OCLC   811060674. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  12. 1 2 "The 32 Best Things to Do in Portland This Weekend: March 15–17". Portland Mercury . March 15, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Tove Stryke, Au/Ra". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  14. ↑ Andel, Autumn (July 20, 2017). "Photos: A Day in the Life of Beach Fossils". Paste . ISSN   1540-3106. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  15. ↑ "The 27 Best Things to Do in Portland This Week: March 11–14". Portland Mercury. March 11, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  16. ↑ "The 22 Best Concerts to See in Portland: April 11–24". Portland Mercury. April 11, 2019. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  17. ↑ Kim, Michelle (May 30, 2018). "Clairo Announces Tour". Pitchfork . Condé Nast. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  18. ↑ Gray, Julia (February 28, 2019). "Crumb – 'Part III'". Stereogum . Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  19. ↑ Alston, Trey (September 18, 2018). "Matthew Dear Releases New Song With Tegan and Sara: Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  20. ↑ Duckwrth:
  21. ↑ "The 28 Best Things to Do in Portland This Week: Oct 8–11". Portland Mercury. October 8, 2016. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  22. ↑ Tommy Genesis:
  23. ↑ Moore, Jenni (February 14, 2019). "The 26 Best Concerts to See in Portland: February 14–27". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  24. ↑ Edgar, Sean (October 6, 2017). "Photos: A Day in the Life of Japanese Breakfast". Paste. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  25. ↑ Schmid, Thacher (March 7, 2017). "The Japanese House Balances Analog and Digital, Sweetness and Depression at Holocene". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  26. ↑ Acevedo, Angelica (February 7, 2019). "Ionnalee Heads for the 'Open Sea' on Potent New Track: Exclusive". Billboard . Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  27. ↑ "The 23 Best Things to Do in Portland This Week: Sept 10–13". Portland Mercury. September 10, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  28. 1 2 3 4 Greenwald, David (September 16, 2014). "With Kaleidoscope cancelled, where to see EDM in Portland and beyond". The Oregonian . Advance Publications. ISSN   8750-1317. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  29. ↑ "The World Naked Bike Ride, Beerfest and 12 Other Things to Do and See in Portland June 20–26". Willamette Week. June 19, 2018. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  30. ↑ "The 29 Best Things to Do In Portland This Weekend: April 12–14". Portland Mercury. April 12, 2019. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Obama Nostalgia, Jorja Smith and 12 Other Things to Do and See in Portland April 25 – May 1". Willamette Week. April 24, 2018. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  32. ↑ Rushall, Jack (June 12, 2018). "A Pride Events Calendar That Ranges From 'Mild' to 'Super Hot'". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  33. ↑ "Pussy Riot, Pop-Tart Pop Ups and 12 Other Things to Do and See in Portland March 14–20". Willamette Week. March 13, 2018. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  34. ↑ "Cheap, Free, and Fun: The 20 Best Bang for Your Buck Shows in Portland This Week, March 22–28". Portland Mercury. March 20, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  35. ↑ "The 26 Best Things to Do in Portland This Week: March 25–28". Portland Mercury. March 25, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  36. ↑ "The Spin 101: The Best Nights Out This Month". Spin . 22 (8): 98. August 2006. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  37. ↑ "Snap! '90s Dance Party: Halloween Edition". Portland Mercury. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Candi Pop":
  39. ↑ "Emo Night":
  40. 1 2 "5 Nightlife Gems You Can Only Find in Portland". Queerty . January 21, 2016. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  41. ↑ Helmsworth, James (June 9, 2015). "Near and Queer". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  42. ↑ "Sympathy for the Disco". Portland Mercury. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  43. ↑ "Six Portland Bars Where You Can Shake Your Booty". Willamette Week. May 23, 2018. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  44. ↑ Prado, Emilly (May 7, 2018). "Portland's newest Moth storytelling producer sets stage for inclusion". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  45. ↑ Singer, Matthew (January 17, 2018). "How Perceptions of Portlandia Have Changed Over the Years". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  46. ↑ "The 27 Best Things to Do in Portland This Weekend: Nov 2–4". Portland Mercury. November 1, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  47. ↑ "The 29 Best Things to Do in Portland This Weekend: Feb 15–17". Portland Mercury. February 14, 2019. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  48. ↑ "Things to Do Halloween Night!". Portland Mercury. October 30, 2018. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  49. ↑ Jo Ann Hardesty:
  50. ↑ Moore, Jenni (November 29, 2018). "Lineup Announced for Girl Fest 2019!". Portland Mercury. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  51. ↑ "Elton John, a Reptile Expo and 9 Other Things to Do and See in Portland Jan. 9–15". Willamette Week. January 8, 2019. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  52. ↑ Portland Oregon Women's Film Festival:
  53. 1 2 Butler, Grant (October 24, 2003). "Cover Story: The It List". The Oregonian. p. 10.
  54. ↑ "21 Portland New Year's Eve Events, in Order from Lit to Chill". Willamette Week. December 26, 2018. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  55. ↑ "Bars + Nightlife: Congratulations to the winners + finalists of Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2020". Willamette Week. July 21, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  56. ↑ "2025 Best of Portland Readers' Poll: Arts & Entertainment". Willamette Week. July 23, 2025. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
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