The World Famous Kenton Club, or simply Kenton Club, is a bar and music venue in north

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, United States. The venue was established as the Kenton Club in 1947, and became a

biker bar A biker bar is a bar that is frequented by motorcyclists (bikers). Some are owned or managed by people who are friendly toward motorcyclists.

. The "world famous" tagline was acquired after appearing in the film ''

Kansas City Bomber ''Kansas City Bomber'' is a 1972 American sports drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Jerrold Freedman and starring Raquel Welch. It also marks one of the earliest film appearances of Jodie Foster. Plot The film is an ins ...

'' (1972); the venue became known as World Famous Kenton Club, and memorabilia related to the film and its star

Raquel Welch Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress. She first won attention for her role in ''Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hammer ...

are displayed throughout the interior.

Description

left, Exterior signage in 2018 The Kenton Club is located in north Portland's Kenton neighborhood. The music venue hosts disc jockeys, karaoke, and other live events in a variety of genres. Kenton Club's clientele has been described as "gray-haired", but has catered to late-night and younger audiences in recent years with the addition of live music and inexpensive beer options. The interior has wood

panelling Panelling (or paneling in the U.S.) is a millwork wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials. Panelling was developed in antiquity to make roo ...

, and in front of the stage is a large hardwood floor. There are low ceilings,

Formica ''Formica'' is a genus of ants of the family Formicidae, commonly known as wood ants, mound ants, thatching ants, and field ants. ''Formica'' is the type genus of the Formicidae, and of the subfamily Formicinae. The type species of genus ''For ...

tables,

linoleum Linoleum, sometimes shortened to lino, is a floor covering made from materials such as solidified linseed oil (linoxyn), Pine Resin, pine resin, ground Cork (material), cork dust, sawdust, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, most com ...

, and vinyl-upholstered chairs, as of 2007. The venue's designated smoking area has been described as both "vast and intimate".

Billiard table A billiard table or billiards table is a bounded table on which cue sports are played. In the modern era, all billiards tables (whether for carom billiards, pool, pyramid or snooker) provide a flat surface usually made of quarried slate, that ...

darts Darts or dart-throwing is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small projectile point, sharp-pointed projectile, missiles known as dart (missile), darts at a round shooting target, target known as a #Dartboard, dar ...

pinball Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...

, trivia, and

video poker Video poker is a casino game based on five-card draw poker. It is played on a computerized console similar in size to a slot machine. History Video poker first became commercially viable when it became economical to combine a television-like moni ...

machines are available for guests. In his 2016 overview of Portland's

jukebox A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media. The classic jukebox has buttons, with letters and numbers on them, which are used to selec ...

es, ''

The Portland Mercury ''Portland Mercury'' is an alternative bi-weekly newspaper and media company founded in 2000 in Portland, Oregon. It has a sibling publication in Seattle, Washington, called '' The Stranger''. Contributors and staff Editor-in-chief: Wm. Steven ...

'' Santi Elijah Holley described the Kenton Club's jukebox selection as "packed with plenty of classic country, blues, and punk — Hank Williams Sr. alongside Hank III". The bar has happy hour each weekday, as of 2016. In her 2013 walking guide of Portland, Becky Ohlsen described Kenton Club as "an excellent lowbrow hangout with a rocky facade, a wood-paneled interior, cheap drinks, live music, and a friendly, rowdy crowd".

History

The Kenton Club opened in 1947, and became a "honky-tonk and rumble-ready"

biker bar A biker bar is a bar that is frequented by motorcyclists (bikers). Some are owned or managed by people who are friendly toward motorcyclists.

shortly thereafter. In 1972, the venue appeared in ''

'', starring

. The Kenton Club adopted the "world famous" tagline, and became known as the World Famous Kenton Club as a "permanent memorial" to the film and Welch. Memorabilia related to ''Kansas City Bomber'' and Welch are displayed throughout the venue. Daryl and Doreen Waitt purchased the business in 2006. Smoky Mountain BBQ began serving

Southern cuisine The cuisine of the Southern United States encompasses diverse food traditions of several regions, including Tidewater, Appalachian, Lowcountry, Cajun, Creole, and Floribbean cuisine. In recent history, elements of Southern cuisine have spread t ...

for lunch and dinner inside the Kenton Club in 2008; the menu features

brisket Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal. The beef brisket is one of the nine beef primal cuts, though the definition of the cut differs internationally. The brisket muscles include the superficial and deep pectora ...

collard greens Collard is a group of certain loose-leafed cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', the same species as many common vegetables including cabbage ( Capitata group) and broccoli ( Italica group). Collard is a member of the Viridis group of ''Brassica ...

dirty rice Dirty rice is a traditional Louisiana Creole dish made from white rice which gets a "dirty" color from being cooked with small pieces of pork, beef or chicken, green bell pepper, celery, and onion, and spiced with cayenne and black pepper. Pars ...

fried fish Fried fish is any fish or shellfish that has been prepared by frying. Often, the fish is covered in batter, egg and breadcrumbs, flour, or herbs and spices before being fried and served, often with a slice of lemon. Fish is fried in many part ...

hushpuppy A hush puppy (or hushpuppy) is a small, savory, deep-fried round ball made from cornmeal-based batter. Hushpuppies are frequently served as a side dish with seafood and other deep-fried foods. History The use of ground maize (corn) in cookin ...

meatloaf Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat that has been combined with other ingredients and formed into the shape of a loaf, then baked or smoked. The final shape is either hand-formed on a baking tray, or pan-formed by cooking it in a loaf pan. It ...

pulled pork Pulled pork is an American barbecue dish, more specifically a dish of the Southern U.S., based on shredded barbecued pork shoulder. It is typically slow-smoked over wood (usually outdoors); indoor variations use a slow cooker. The meat is th ...

, and

ribs The rib cage, as an enclosure that comprises the ribs, vertebral column and sternum in the thorax of most vertebrates, protects vital organs such as the heart, lungs and great vessels. The sternum, together known as the thoracic cage, is a semi- ...

Events

The venue has hosted a variety of events and performers. Recurring dance events include "Club Nitty Gritty" (

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

and

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...

), "Twirl", which caters to the

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

community and features

boogie Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm,Burrows, Terry (1995). ''Play Country Guitar'', p.42. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. . "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie mus ...

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

, and

house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...

, and "Vampyros Lesbos Dance Party", described as a "goth, post-punk, and industrial dance night for femmes and allies". In 2013, Kenton Club hosted Birdcloud and a queer

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

and

honky-tonk A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano (tack piano) ...

dance party. The club was a featured stop on "Anticon", a competing event to SantaCon, in 2016. For

New Year's Eve In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...

in 2018, the club hosted "Mutant Meltdown" featuring

and

new wave music New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. La ...

. In 2019, the venue hosted the supergroup Wtfukushima, featuring members

Fur Dixon Fur Dixon is an American singer, songwriter, bassist, guitarist and rock 'n' roll musician. She co-founded the Hollywood Hillbillys with guitarist and then-husband Gary Dickson in the mid-1980s and was the first bass player in any lineup of The ...

and

Dusty Watson Dustin "Dusty" Watson is an American drummer who has played in a number of notable bands, as well as backed up famous solo artists. Earning a scholarship to Stan Kenton Band Clinics and joining the Musicians Union at age 17 allowed Dusty to beco ...

. Kenton Club has also hosted the local music festivals "Booberamapaloozafest" and "MedEvil Madness".

Reception

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...

'' Seth Lorinczi described Kenton Club as "lovably shabby" and said "its notoriety derives from weekend country and rockabilly acts". In his 2008 review of Smoky Mountain BBQ, Lorinczi quipped about the venue and its clientele, "Brave dim lighting and aged tipplers, or slink back to the cave with your kill." In her 2019 book ''Walking Portland'', Becky Ohlsen said the Kenton Club has a "charming bravado". Barbara Mitchell of the ''

Portland Tribune The ''Portland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Pamplin Media Group, which publishes a number of community newspapers in the Portland metropolitan area. Launched in ...

'' wrote in her 2007 review, "Drinks are stiff, cheap and simple for the most part – after all, this is a watering hole that pours its wine out of a box. If you're craving an artisan cocktail, you'd be in the Pearl District, not here." She said the bar has a "fantastic neighborhood feel" and "welcoming atmosphere", opining:

The World Famous Kenton Club does a fantastic job of maintaining a no-fuss honky-tonk vibe, and it's easy to imagine Willie Nelson and a passel of pals meeting up here for an afternoon beer, a late night hootenanny or a morning constitutional... Leave any pretensions you've been carrying on the sidewalk before you step into the dark and laid-back environs. The world has enough hipsters: The World Famous Kenton Club is an establishment whose coolness cannot be co-opted, and whose vibe-y atmosphere may have been immortalized but can't be duplicated.

Chris Sutton of ''The Portland Mercury'' described the Kenton Club as a "special kind of time machine taking you back to much simpler days—when there were fewer beer choices and hairy-chested macho men like Burt Reynolds were considered gods". He said the venue "straddles the line between public house amenity and dimly lit seediness so well", and its video poker machines "only ddto the charm of a classic watering hole dripping with historic sentimentality". The venue is ranked number 94 on ''Willamette Week'' list of Portland's "100 best bars". Zach Middleton quipped, "Get here soon, or don't. Neither Raquel Welch nor the day patrons give a shit." In 2017, the newspaper's Matthew Korfhage called Kenton "one of Portland's last bars to still have hair on its chest and a swagger in its boots". He wrote, "The beer is cheap, the music's almost always free from Thursday to Sunday, and somebody's always spilled some beer. It used to be a bit more rough-and-ready in here, but even slightly cleaned up for the new karaoke-and-game-night crowds, it remains lovingly imperfect in every way that matters."

Historic District

The ornamental concrete block building is located within the

Kenton Commercial Historic District The Kenton Commercial Historic District is a historic district in north Portland, Oregon's Kenton neighborhood, in the United States. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Description Kenton's principal commercia ...

on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. It was built in 1949 by the Kenton Building and Contracting Company and designed by Swift & Company. The building as constructed would have made it a

Contributing Property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

to the historic district had its exterior not been significantly modified. Exterior tile work, removal of storefronts, and the covering of some windows have "damaged its historic integrity", causing it to be classified as "historic noncontributing".

References

External links

* * {{Music venues in Portland, Oregon 1947 establishments in Oregon Drinking establishments in Oregon Kenton, Portland, Oregon Music venues in Portland, Oregon