Last Friday was the opening night of Portland's State Theatre, and it did not disappoint.
The theater itself was initially built in 1925 and is considered one of the more historical buildings of the Old Port.
For the last five years, the Theatre has undergone an extensive renovation. With its high ceilings, mustard yellow- and gold-rimmed interior walls, standing room ground floor, and traditional balcony, it epitomizes traditional theatrical elegance without compromising the casual aesthetic—something that has been lacking in Portland's music venues.
The venue pulled out all the stops when it asked My Morning Jacket to be the openers. It is a well-known fact that Jim James (a.k.a. "Yim Yames") never holds back during his performances, and the Theatre's October 15 sold-out opening night was no exception.
The Louisville, Ky., band played a range of songs, from its earlier career in the late '90s and all the way up to 2008's Evil Urges. James never let a song pass without a titillating guitar solo and a lot of head thrusting.
The acoustics were clear and resonated nicely through the space; the crowd was engaged and energetic; and the band was lively and passionate—living up to its performance reputation while also clearly acknowledging the significance of the theater's debut.
Highlights of the night included "Anytime," "Evil Urges," and the not single, but double encore that concluded the night with "One Big Holiday" and served to solidify the splendor and success of Theatre's opening night.
Beyond the State Theatre, the multitude and diversity of Portland's music venues is why Portland is a city not just for foodies, but music-lovers as well. From most casual to most formal, these venues include some of the following.
SPACE Gallery: An incredible site that serves as a gallery space for local artists, a theater for independent films, and a music venue. The gallery can be followed on twitter (@SPACE538).
Port City Music Hall: Voted "Maine's Best Live Music Venue," this venue is expansive, modern, chic and, like SPACE, serves as an art gallery and film theater. The shining hardwood floors, the funky lighting and a squeaky clean bar make this music hall especially contemporary.
Asylum: A bit grungier that the other venues, this spot features a bar and food court on one side and a dark, punk rock and heavy metal music venue on the other. Ideal for a burger and fries, head banging, moshing and crowd surfing.
VENUE Music Bar & Grille: It looks like your typical food and music venue—chow down on steaks, salads, wings and other comfort foods while watching live music. It also offers cocktail hour, but is probably not ideal for vegetarians.
Local 188: Such a classy little venue. A warmly lit lounge atmosphere, delicious, local menu, full bar and weekly jazz performances make this my favorite hub in Portland. I highly recommend the mussels.
State Theatre: Perhaps the most legitimate music for music's sake music venue in Portland. Portland has been asking for a venue like the State Theatre for a long time.
Not only is the space enormous, the venue is also well-equipped with two bars, lots of standing space on the ground floor and sitting space in the balcony, an expansive stage and professional lighting like Portland has never seen.
It would be a shame to miss out on this space—I recommend going to their website and checking out the plethora of big-name artists coming this way in the next few months (http://www.statetheatreportland.com/), some of which include Josh Ritter (tonight), The Goo Goo Dolls (Tuesday), Guster (Wednesday), Michael Franti (November 6), State Radio (November 27), and George Clinton (December 4).
One Longfellow Square: Purchased in 2006 from the Center for Cultural Exchange, this venue is located on the corner of State and Congress Streets, at the beginning of Portland's Arts District.
Though it is currently serving as a sort of educational and cultural facility by day, the Square also has quite the lineup of folk and rock acts that should not be overlooked.
The Portland Symphony: I went to the Symphony with my music class sophomore year, and it was a great time. The Symphony is definitely a nice venue to have in your back pocket when parents come to visit, or for a very special night out, perhaps following a posh meal at Fore Street.
So if you are one of those people who tends to complain that Portand has no music scene, or that you wish you had gone to school in a bigger city so you can see some real bands, I suggest you get off your bum and check out some of these awesome venues.
Portland's got so much to offer in terms of music, so go grab some buddies and support your local music scene—good music is a shameful thing to waste.