Venue Profile - The Woods (Portland, OR; Fall, 2009)

To begin, let’s establish right away that this lovely city’s newest music venue might just be one of the most uniquely crafted in years. And while we’re mulling on that for a moment, understand that while the building now known as The Woods was once a funeral parlor, it was, in no way, created to bring back the dead. Or host any kind of rituals designed to bring back the dead.

Wake the dead with earth-shatteringly good music? Maybe.

In truth, The Woods is a terrific space, full of life and all of the awesomeness that music brings to it.

Tucked behind shrubbery and wispy trees on a quiet corner in the Sellwood neighborhood, this new venue is steadily revealing itself as one of Portland’s best kept secrets. Complete with many a mysterious-yet-inviting nook and cranny, as well as a beautifully organic sound system, this building seems as if it was born to rock.

Founded by friends Vivien Lyon, Ritchie Young, and Yoni Shpak, The Woods made its debut in June to an audience as expectant as its owners. The trio deliberately led the crowd to each of the venue’s many rooms, with bands such as Portland Cello Project and Weinland performing throughout. 

Often the lighting came from candles, and the acoustics from nothing more than the bare walls. “It was absolutely spellbinding, and such a great way to embrace what had been here before,” Lyon said. “We didn’t open this place because any of us have a spooky disposition. We respect that before we were here, everyone came to honor the people they loved.”

A venue such as this had been far from the original plan, though. Lyon and Young had known, from almost the minute they met, that they should create a business together, but doing something linked to music seemed less than appealing. Sure, Young was a musician, well-known for his work as vocalist for Loch Lomond, and Lyon held a deep affection in her heart for the art, but the two hoped to make money with something different. After spending time as roommates and searching for the venture that would suit them best, however, the two’s similar appreciation became more and more relevant.

Deciding that opening another music venue in Portland wouldn’t be as risky as one might think, the duo joined with Shpak to uncover an appropriate location. A broker let them in on a funeral home that was closing its doors to relocate four blocks away, and the group was intrigued. While their first look might have discouraged anyone else, these three inspired and creative entrepreneurs knew they had found exactly what they were looking for.

“When we first walked into the place, it was like an empty shell, and we knew we’d have a long way to go to prove ourselves,” Young said. “But we knew we could do it, and it’s been great to see how far we’ve come.”

The appearance had been slightly shocking at first, and not at all what the three had expected, Lyon said. “The inside looked like a nursery, painted with Pepto-Bismol pink walls,” she said. “It’s like they were rearing their head on death, denial-style.”

Potential was practically bursting from the walls, however, and the three soon imagined it as a comfortably fantastic place in which musicians and fans could mingle freely, drinks in hand.

“This place is set up perfectly for music,” Young said. “It’s big enough to bring a large number of people in, yet intimate enough to make everyone cozy.”

Once the group chose to renovate the parlor and make it their own, redecoration began with earthier paint tones and recycled wood—80% of the main bar comes from materials found within the building. Plenty of parking spots accompany the venue, as does a gigantic smoking area, covered to fend off the Northwest drizzle. The Woods possesses an alluring feel that makes visitors, such as myself, never really want to leave.

Many a show-goer has their reservations about what the place holds, though. “People claim it still smells like a funeral parlor—their imagination runs wild while they’re here, and that’s awesome,” Lyon said.

Music is starting to pop up several nights a week at The Woods, and it looks to soon be turning into an every-night kind of thing. Local bands, touring acts, and amateur karaoke-ers have hit the stage in the former chapel area of the venue so far, and the founders agree they’re not limited in the type of music they want to host. “Whether it’s local or national, we do our best to get really good music here,” Shpak said.

Lyon continued, saying she appreciated being exposed to beats she wouldn’t necessarily get to hear. “And it’s great to be surrounded, at the shows, by such a cross-section of people of different ages and in different places in their life,” she said.

While Sellwood may seem a distance from Portland’s established nightlife locale, the owners at The Woods seem less than concerned that its location will keep customers from venturing away from downtown and other well-known hot spots.

“We really are in the hub of Southeast [Portland], and as people start coming to shows, they’ll get used to it and stop thinking of it as out of the way,” Shpak said.

It’s encouraging to see music shine in such a place once known for its darkness, and it’s likely The Woods will someday be known as a legendary piece of the city’s music lore. So get thee to this parlor, and cherish what it was, is, and magically yet to become.

THE WOODS
Address: 6637 Milwaukie Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97202 (Served by bus lines 19 and 70)
Phone: 503-890-0408
Web: http://www.thewoodsportland.com/
Google Maps: Here Ya Go

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