From John Prine To Dave Chappelle – Portland, Oregon’s Aladdin Theater Keeps It Real (THESE WALLS)

Aladdin Theater has centered itself around one of the most lively yet unsung art scenes in the country. The independent venue and the building that houses it has been a cornerstone for the city of Portland for decades and continues to house the creatives that consider the city home. Along with the venue’s tireless dedication to the local scene, Aladdin Theater brings in some of the brightest young touring acts that span from comedians to cover bands. Time-tested and fan-approved, the Aladdin Theater continues to be a fixture in the city of Portland and stands to spend another few decades as a safe haven for artists across all mediums. 

Glide spoke to Matt Manza of the Aladdin Theater to discuss the history of the venue and how they interact with the local arts scene. Check out the list of upcoming shows on their website and read the full interview below: 

Portland has no shortage of music venues, what do you feel has allowed the Aladdin Theater to remain such a vital part of the music scene in the city for so many years?

The Aladdin is a bit of an institution in Portland. The venue opened as “Geller’s Theatre” in 1928 and the name changed to Aladdin Theater in 1934, where it hosted film, including a couple-decade stint as an adult movie theater all the way until 1993 when it became the live events/music venue we know today. For most folks in Portland, the Aladdin has always been there in some capacity, and it has a magical old-school marquee that Portlanders instantly connect to. It also helps that the venue has played host to an amazing array of artists over the years.

The Aladdin is on the southeast side of the city, do you feel certain neighborhoods attract certain music scenes in PDX? What do you feel Aladdin has done best at attracting musically in terms of genres? 

The Aladdin is in a great Old Portland neighborhood of Brooklyn, it has a great neighborhood appeal and is very supportive of local business. PDX is a very travel-friendly city, so it’s pretty easy to bop around and see the shows you want to see. That being said, the Aladdin has maintained a diversity within its programming that I think is the hallmark of the venue. Any given week could see a legacy act, an up-and-comer, a comedy show, or a drag show. I think part of the fun and charm has been playing host to all walks of life.

Do you find there is competition amongst other venues in Portland to book certain artists? Are there any bands that prefer playing the Aladdin over other area venues?

Portland has always had a robust, friendly level of competition among all of the promoters in town and the market is one where a healthy number of independent promoters still exist, which can’t be said for all markets. There are definitely some artists that are quite fond of the Aladdin aesthetic. Our Dave Chappelle story comes to mind – he booked five shows in one week at the Aladdin, part way through his run he said he loved the venue so much that he booked two more shows that week for a total of seven historic shows in one week.  Also, esteemed filmmaker John Waters has also made the venue his PDX home and has visited us a couple of times a year for the last decade. 

Can you give us an example of the diversity of artists that have played your stage? Who would we be most surprised to hear has played the Aladdin Theater?

Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, John Prine, Bryan Adams, Joe Rogan, Dave Chappelle, Brandi Carlile, Jeff Bridges, Dave Mathews, Steve Earle, Emmy Lou Harris, Warren Zevon.

What is the greatest misconception artists have about playing Portland or what the city represents?

Lately? That it’s a war zone. Recently the national perception of Portland has been a drastic change from where it was pre-pandemic. In a few short years, Portland went from being perceived as a cosmopolitan destination with a rich food & arts scene to a lawless “anarchist jurisdiction”. The reality is that we are having the same problems that most of the big cities on the west coast are encountering, but it’s not nearly as bad as the outsider perception or the picture that the national media was painting. Portland is still a very vibrant community with a very talented/creative populous and vibrant arts scene. Not much has changed in that regard. The fans still show up with a smile.

In your opinion, what is it about the ascetic of the Aladdin Theater that makes it such a unique venue in terms of its architecture and history?

From the marquee to the old-school theater feel…it’s comfortable, old-school Portland, like a favorite pair of shoes you know well… and the room just naturally sounds amazing, we are lucky that way.

Does True West manage much of the production and promotions now?  How has working with an independent promoter v.s. a corporate one enabled Aladdin to stay relevant?

True West is the owner/operator of the venue. I think remaining independent has allowed us to have a deeper relationship with the venue from talent curation to the artist experience on the day of the show. It’s a labor of love for everyone involved.

The venue was an X-Rated movie theater back in the day- do people often bring that up and what are some of the more laughable jokes you hear about those “Deep Throat”  years?

People definitely remember, but I can’t recall too many jokes. Funny enough, I think the claim to fame is just how long Deep Throat played at the venue, I think we hold the record or something. We have an awesome picture of the marquee displaying “Deep Throat” that I have been inclined to turn into a tee shirt multiple times. I think fans of the venue and Portland in general would love it. Not sure why we haven’t done that yet.

What goes on at the Lamp Lounge and why is that a go-to for pre-show drinks?

The Lamp was an aspect of the venue that didn’t come back post covid. We were able to repurpose the space to serve the concerts more effectively, including being a space for food and drink service, while also playing host to artist merchandise and being a general hang area for patrons of the shows. We added live video and audio feeds to the bar area and started a great partnership with Double Mountain, which is serving their well-known pizza to our ticket holders.

Who are you still hoping to play at the Aladdin Theater?

I think everyone on the team would give you a different list here. Mine are; D’Angelo, John Grant, Polvo, Elder, Black Midi, Sade, Bill Burr & Botch. Far-fetched on a few of these, but dream a dream.

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