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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 2012)
Page 4 March 21, 2012 Candlelight Blows Out encing a num ber o f late night fights, Diloreto explained they began to provide music and en tertainm ent, which has becom e a staple o f the neighborhood.“We were prim arily blues for the first 10-years, and then we added R&B and funk to keep the crow ds cornin’ in,” he said. And coming in, they did. Listed on their bar website, good reviews o f the Candlelight Room are not hard to find. “Am using as it may seem that the C andlelight Room yet exists downtown, it’s not really a stop for tourists. In an age where blues b a rs la rg e ly e n d u re as c h ic c o n t i n u e d f r o m front borhood grocery, wasn’t anything special, but for many residents the Candlelight Room has been a home away from home since the doors opened nearly three decades ago. “It draws in quite a crowd,” said Diloreto, adding the live music and the intimate small setting are why individuals visit the most. “There is music seven nights a week with no cover,” he said. “And it’s comfort able." During the day, he said students from the neighboring Portland State University come in for a break. At night, however, regulars from all walks of life fill the room in south west, downtown. Diloreto, who has worked at the bar for 25-years, said there was time when the only music came from an old juke box available for customer use. The Candlelight Room, which has become a staple for many residents since the music began, has been passed through multiple owners with an eclectic mix of names since 1954, when Lester Beckman pur chased the building and leased the space to a young man who con verted the store into a restaurant known as Mogal’s. In 1963, the restaurant was sold to Sydney Porter, who was a tal ented and well-known pianist, and changed the name to Sydney's, which hosted guests such as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. But after P orter’s death, the bar, which residents have grown to know today, was created when signifiers, The C andlelight in dulges a dirty, grimy R&B groove so sham elessly drunken and ag gressively lewd that ironic detach ment sh an ’t stand,” wrote one custom er. “It’s perilously close to PSU, and w e’ll buy a drink if you can spot a student - or anyone under forty beyond the occasional bass ist likely press-ganged by uncles for bar-band service.” Another custom er said, “No m atter what, the music is going to be great. Totally reliable that way. Always danceable.” Although the bar will be clos ing its doors, the announcem ent Day time bartender Mark Diloreto, who has worked at the Candle light Room for 2 5 years, serves customers inside the building near Portland State University, downtown. The café and bar, known for attracting a diverse clientele with live blues, soul and R&B, closes its doors at the end o f the month to make room for construction o f light rail mass transit. passed along to Bill Hills, who tore out the stage and made room for the dive bar. Although the space was soon sold to Ron Mead, the ownership only changed once more in 1984, when Joe Shore bought the local spot. When Shore was on vacation, the bartenders decided it was time to have some live music again. W e a r e W O M EN S HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATES. For Diloreto, however, he re m em bers the bar before music sounded through its walls each night, and the main clientele were m ostly middle easterners travel ing through the city. “This place is probably known throughout the w orld,” he said. ‘Boogie Cat’ Norman Sylvester will host a ‘Wrecking Ball Jam, ” “W hen I first started working celebration on Saturday, March 31, to mark the end o f an era for here, we didn’t have bands,” he live blues, soul and R&B at the popular Candlelight Room, said. But over time, after experi downtown. w w w . w h a llc .c o m RECOMMENDED BY BABIES ALL OVER THE PORTLAND METRO AREA. that the bar is in its last days has catalyzed an increase in business for the well-known dive. “It’s been getting’ busier,” said Diloreto. Chris Bradshaw, a local resi dent of Portland, brought his cam era with him on his first visit to the bar, last week. “I wanted to see it before it’s gone,” he said. “It seems like the way Portland was before the hipsters took over.” W hile many are sad to see the new location go, others are hope ful the candlelight room, with its rich history o f sustaining change, will open for business in a new location, which will bring the same vibe and variety of custom ers. Diloreto said, however, the new place will be inevitably quite a change from what they have now. Coming up on Saturday, March 31, starting at 5 p.m. the C andle light Room will host its final live music event with featuring artist Norm an Sylvester who will draw the crow ds together to celebrate 63-years o f the location where the bar w elcom ed anyone and every one through its doors.
