Crystal Ballroom

I like going to 80s and 90s nights here when they actually have them, but the drinks are pricey and super weak and it gets pretty hot in here when more people come in.

I avoid seeing shows here. The acoustics are terrible in this old building. The staff is typically rude and everything is overpriced.

I normally have decent experiences at the Crystal Ballroom, but tonight was a serious exception. Doors were scheduled at 7:30 but did not open until well after 8 despite below freezing temperatures, with no updates or explanations. The doorman was condescending and sarcastic in tone with us when we asked for details. Furthermore, we had eaten in the restaurant next door and lined up outside waiting for over 45 minutes, but no one informed us that diners get priority seating and we were unable to get good seats despite being third and fourth in line. This venue badly needs to work on its communication with patrons.

After waiting a month to fly up to Portland from California to watch the Snoop Dogg show I was very disappointed in how we were taken care of. We bought a group of VIP tickets and upon arriving were told that we needed to wait outside in a 100+ line of people that wrapped around a couple buildings in the freezing cold. The front door was supposed to give us a VIP bracelet and didn’t even read our tickets. We had to pay for jacket check, then we walked into the VIP section and were told we had to go back for a bracelet. When we returned we found that our places had been taken. I was able to squeeze in one front row spot and I couldn’t wait to see Snoop up close like this. I waited in the same spot for hours to see the main show, which usually happens but during this time the line for the VIP drinks was being backed up because they were filling the other side before us. As soon as the main show started there was a row of people that flooded our view in front of us. The area they were in was some sort of employee walkway between VIP and the regular section. So after all the money spent, time taken from work and family. I ended up watching the back of a big mans head! This was so disappointing that those people in front of us were aloud to do this right in front of VIP, that I may not ever go back! Also if you are claustrophobic than this is not the place for you. It took 30 mins to get out of the building because there were so many people leaving at the same time. I hate to be a big downer on this but it truly was a bad experience for the exceptions and the money that was spent for the whole trip. Seems like this place has gone down big time!

Went here to see Modest Mouse. Hadn’t been to visit this venue before. My friends let me up to the balcony area, where if you got there early enough you could get seating. There is drink service up there and a bathroom, which was very convenient… so I liked it up there. It was difficult for me to stand though for what turned out to be 5 hours in the end. I liked the venue though. In the end we ended up on the ballroom floor, where the floor is very flexible and with everyone jumping it was pretty trippy to stand on.

I saw James Bay here awhile back and thought it was an awesome, intimate venue for his show. I admit the location isn’t ideal being on a busy street corner (near a halfway house of some kind) but the venue itself has some great character!
The sound is great and it makes for a perfect place to gather with friends for cool/​small concert.
I’ll be back next week for Another show. I recommend if you live in the area, über to the show — I’m not sure there is much parking.

A magical venue with a bouncy dance floor. Good vibes all around. Go there.

Good staff and good shows

80s retro dance night — music was so low you could actually have a conversation at normal talking levels. Wtf? Walked in. Walked out. Lame!

Don’t drink the booze, they’re serving some bootleg or fake branded cheap booze. Every time I order my whisky here I get a bad reaction afterwards, my heart starts to beat erratic and start to sweat very profusely.
I order the same stuff at a smaller bars it tastes normal and it satisfies just like the ones I buy from the liquor stores, I only drink Johnnie Walker Red or Black and I always ask for a double neat, at Crystal Ball Room their Johnnie Walker tastes like Black Velvet with a weird kick.

Let me start with i have been going to the ball for 6 or 7 years now. I have seen many changes but this year was AWFUL. The organizers have back slid in my opinion.
A group of us went to to the Portland Erotic Ball (PEB for Short) on Saturday and I’m wondering if any of our yeeps went as well, and your thoughts?
I purchased online «VIP» tickets. This was to include VIP entrance, free unlimited drinks, and a special «VIP Only» lounge upstairs.
There was NO separate entrance for the VIP people as in all the years passed! So you had to wait in this huge line to get in! Then there were no VIP goodie bags. Then once you get in you have to fight your way up to the main stage area to stand in yet another massive line.
I get in this huge line for the bar and wait 30 minutes for my first drink and am told by the bartender, when I show her my VIP bracelet, the only place I can get my free VIP bracelet drinks is upstairs in the VIP area. Everywhere else you must pay. That isn’t handy considering only two of us have VIP bracelet and the others do not PLUS there are other areas to see and hang out on. Sooooo… being there for 3.0 hours, we spent about 1.5 of them in line for drinks. the logistics were a total fail, and made me want to scream at someone.
I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND BUYING THE VIP TICKETS THERE IS NO BENEFIT TO THEM ANYMORE! The organizers want people to buy the premium VIP package is all about the vendors and money. It is sad because in years passed it has been a great time. Hopefully they can get it together for next year and deliver what they promise.
That being said… the people watching was great. and the band pepe and the bottle blondes were great (My favorite)… If you like events with lots of nearly nakid people and beautiful women in either lingerie or body paint, and waiting in all kinds of lines doesn’t matter to you then this is your event … although there were plenty of non erotic costumes as well.

This place sucks! As an avid concert attender who recently relocated to Portland, I had high hopes for this venue. As a smaller venue, you’d think you would be able to see from anywhere… not really. Poorly designed and old, it was a hassle trying to get anywhere without people bumping into and spilling beer all over you. The balcony sucks because you can’t see anything either. They way over sold it and I left early from one of favorite bands because I couldn’t deal. I’ll go to the Wonder ballroom from now on!

Is this place a fire hazard? Likely. Does it lack air conditioning? Yes. Does it have an engineered floor to replicate the floors for bygone eras of swing dances? YES, and it’s utterly bizarre yet fascinating. The floor has «give» so when you and several hundred other people are all dancing it definitely goes up and down. Reason alone to attempt sobriety while there, cause it gets bouncy. The other being the whole «if there’s a fire» issue.
I was there for the Dead’s last show simulcast… during a heat wave. The staff kindly set up a lot of fans, but it was still sweltering. The floor was crazy during certain songs, and I’m not sure the bounce was really my thing. The beer offerings were fine, if overpriced. It should be a crime to charge $ 4 for PBR. All in all, the venue is fine for a show, and the history of the joint is pretty amazing.

The Crystal’s slogan is «Dance on air,» but last night it was dance on hot air for me and the rest of the crowd at the sold-​out Fare Thee Well show (the live stream of the final Grateful Dead show, in Chicago). It truly was a great time, but I’m surprised I saw just one collapsed person being carried out. The water stations were a saving grace, and the huge fans near the entrance to the hall were a source of relief and fun to twirl around in front of, but what gives with the overall sauna effect? There are vents in the ceiling – don’t they have a/​c? The previous shows I’ve attended here were in winter.
Anyway, barefoot, shirtless men weaving through the crowd, shiny with sweat, fit with the scene, and we made it through the four-​hour event, standing the whole time, and I’m so glad I was there. I even got a cool, special stamp for my McMenamin’s Passport (see pic)!

Floor is awesome… There’s a poster in the hotel giving a bit of the design and honoring the creators… I’d explain how the floor operates; but then you’d know more than the tour guide. Trust me on this; yes there are large metal balls used as part of the assembly that allows the floor to float. But it is not just a pile of ball-​bearings. it is much more complicated; and cool!
Do take the tour. The history is great! You really appreciate the place. Would love to see a concert here.

My coworkers and I came here and had a great time. We ordered the sweet potato fries, hummus and chips for appetizers. I ordered the Wilbur burger with tots. Everything was delicious and we were all stuffed.
Then we all played pool and other games in the back. It’s a great place to eat and hang out. I definitely recommend this place!

We loved this tour. Hope you like stairs if you go because you will be climbing like fifty sets of stairs (okay not THAT many). This is a great piece of history in Portland. Something you just don’t get to see and such a piece of music’s changing times. I will go here every time I hit Portland, The tour was cheap, you can drink before the tour, and you get to see them make your beer. Plus right outside is that bike tower from Portlandia. You need a pic of that, right?

Can I leave the Crystal Ballroom without tripping down the stairs and doing a faceplant? Yes. On a regular basis? No. My legs bear the bruises of my most recent endeavor. I tripped, I fell, I jumped up like a jack-​in-​a-​box and pretended I didn’t do anything like falling down.
But people noticed.
ANYWHO. Crystal Ballroom is a huge default for concerts. It can be fun with the bouncy floor, but a big thing for music is the sound. THE SOUND. And CB isn’t…that great. I appreciate there’s an upstairs for the adults for the all ages aspect, BUT, upstairs or close, the sound just ain’t always that great.
They do also have their fabulous 80’s dance party in CB from time to time, and I HIGHLY recommend that. If it’s a Lola’s Room, nope, don’t even bother.
There’s many bars in the room, and boy do they charge. At my recent Halloween party experience, I paid $ 7 for McMenamins brews. SERIOUSLY. That’s on top of a $ 15 entrance fee, so the gouging claws were clearly out.
So basically, CB has a captive audience because of the concert venue. Would I normally come here for a non-​event? Nope.

Love this place! Live across the street practically. Lola’s place is a good fun time, while upstairs is entertaining with great speakers. From well-​known bands to newbies, Crystal has it all.
Give this bouncy floor a go! Drinks start at $ 5 — not bad for a music venue! Beers of McMinemans are always great — like the Ruby. Staff is friendly and no judgement — which is nice. Always a good view no matter where you are. Easy and quick to leave, upper level a good change of pace. Not a longline for the lady’s room, too. Clean and accommodating — like how water is easy, accessible and great at the entry way! Cons include no A/​C… Can be stifling! Avoid super hot summer days! Intimate as it may be — the heat can ruin it.

The Crystal Ballroom is kind of difficult to review. The venue is somewhat inconsistent. I have to say that my personal biases are for the smaller and more intimate venues. However if you want to see some of the bigger names (The Decemberists, Say Anything, Echo & The Bunnymen, Lily Allen, etc) then this is where you have to go.
The biggest issues with the Crystal Ballroom are:
1. Heat! This place gets extremely Hot! It doesn’t seem that you can relieve it either in the General Admission Standing Area or the Upper Level Seats. You will sweat at this venue even if you are standing still.
2. Sound! The sound here is not the greatest. If the sound board is not run well then it can be an Epic Fail. When I saw The Decemberists, the vocals were almost inaudible in the Upper Level Seating.
I do like the fact that the Ballroom does segregate the crowd by age. I am not a fan of hanging with the younger fans since they sometimes get a little out of hand. Us older folks, 21+, are pretty good at being obnoxious on our own.
The bottom line is that the Crystal attracts a strong roster of artists. It is also definitely better than the cavernous Roseland. However, if I had a choice, this venue is certainly not my first pick… even if it does have a bouncing dance floor (okay, had to be said).