Revolution Hall
Portland’s historic Washington High School is reborn as a music venue and more.
A landmark on Portland’s east side for more than a century, the redbrick-walled Washington High School sat vacant for three decades. But now, a massive overhaul has restored the school’s status as a class act: The venerable institution has been transformed into one of the city’s top destinations for live entertainment.
At the heart of the remodel is Revolution Hall, an 830-seat venue set inside the high school’s original auditorium. Vintage character abounds, with a full wraparound balcony and wooden chairs providing a great setting for an amped-up sound system — and top-notch performers.
Booked by the duo behind favorite eastside venues Mississippi Studios and the Aladdin Theater, Rev Hall opened in 2015 with performances from Neko Case and the von Trapps. Since then, it’s provided a steady lineup of local and touring indie rock, folk and pop acts.
The hall’s offerings extend to stand-up comedy and lectures, and it’s also the home of the Low Bar Chorale, a drop-in choir that lets attendees sing along with a live band twice a month.
As you walk these halls, consider that food luminary James Beard and Nobel Prize-winning chemist Linus Pauling both attended Washington High School. Yet another reason to consider heading back to school — at least for the night — in Portland.
In and Around the Venue
At Revolution Hall
Miz Cracker: American Woman
American Woman, a comedy spectacular that asks: what does it mean to be a woman in America? As a lady raised by—and always surrounded by—strong female figures, Cracker cracks jokes and performs lip syncs about everything from beauty to birth control. But behind the comedy, there’s an urgent call for equal rights in a country…
Andy Shauf – The Neon Skyline Tour
Few artists are storytellers as deft and disarmingly observational as Andy Shauf. The Toronto-based, Saskatchewan-raised musician’s songs unfold like short fiction: They’re densely layered with colorful characters and a rich emotional depth. With: Molly Sarlé.
David Sanborn Jazz Quintet
Enjoy the sounds of six-time-Grammy Award Winner David Sanborn and this PDX Jazz Festival concert. Sanborn has released 25 albums and has had eight Gold albums and one Platinum album. Having inspired countless other musicians, Dave has worked in many genres that typically blend instrumental pop, R&B and lately, more and more traditional jazz.
The Origin of Love Tour – The Songs and Stories of Hedwig
John Cameron Mitchell performs songs and stories from two groundbreaking decades of post-punk, neo-glam rock – a collective quest for love, hope and identity.
Yacht Rock Revue
The Yacht Rock Revue is everything the late ‘70s and early ‘80s should’ve been: massive sing-along soft rock hits, tight bell-bottom jeans, impeccable musicianship, polyester shirts, glorious vocal harmonies, sunglasses at night, breezy dancing and sax . . . lots of sax.
An Evening With Moe
With 20 years of touring and just as many albums under its belt, the quintet of Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey on guitars and vocals, Rob Derhak on bass and vocals, Jim Loughlin on percussion and vibes, and Vinnie Amico on Drums, continues to push the standard for performance art.
Joshua Radin & friends
Love and the complications surrounding it have long proven to be Joshua Radin’s songwriting forte. Though he never intended to be a live performer, there was little choice when the first song he ever wrote, “Winter,” was featured on an episode of “Scrubs.” The resulting fervor around the song soon led to a record deal,…
Kenny Garrett with María Grand
Part of the 2020 Biamp PDX Jazz Festival. Over the course of a stellar career that has spanned more than 30 years, saxophonist Kenny Garrett has become the preeminent alto saxophonist of his generation. From his first gig with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (led by Mercer Ellington) through his time spent with musicians such as…
An Evening with Maria Schneider Orchestra
Maria Schneider’s music has been hailed by critics as “evocative, majestic, magical, heart-stoppingly gorgeous, and beyond categorization.” She and her orchestra became widely known starting in 1994 when they released their first recording, Evanescence. There, Schneider began to develop her personal way of writing for what would become her 18-member collective, made up of many…