Embers Avenue

Embers Avenue
The club's exterior in 2014
Embers Avenue is located in Portland, Oregon
Embers Avenue
Embers Avenue
Location in Portland, Oregon
LocationPortland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45°31′26″N 122°40′38″W / 45.52398°N 122.67725°W / 45.52398; -122.67725
Type
Construction
Opened1969
Closed2017

The Embers Avenue, also known as Embers,[1] was a gay bar and nightclub located at the outer edge of the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood of Portland,[2] featuring drag shows, karaoke, and live music.[3] The club opened in 1969 and closed in late 2017.[4][5][6] The Oregonian reported in late November 2017 that the building owner intended to fill the space with a similar venue,[7] and in 2024, Badlands Portland opened in the space.[8]

History

Embers Avenue opened in 1969.[9] The club was originally located at SW Park and Morrison, next to the Virginia Cafe. In 1979, it moved to the corner of NW Broadway and Couch Street, where it would remain until its closure.[10][11]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Embers was an important social space for the LGBTQ community,[12] which was badly impacted by the HIV/AIDS crisis.[13] It was an important venue for drag performers in the city.[13] Events included weekly goth nights, Notable performers included Bolivia Carmichaels and Poison Waters.[13]

It closed suddenly on December 1, 2017, after the owner, Steve Suss, suffered a series of strokes and could no longer run the business.[10][13][14][15] Suss died in 2020.[12]

Reception

Donald Olson, writing for Frommer's, rated the venue as two out of three stars. He described the club as a primarily gay disco also appealing to straight people, with "lots of flashing lights and sweaty bodies until the early morning".[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ Dresbeck, Rachel (March 18, 2014). Insiders' Guide® to Portland, Oregon (8 ed.). Globe Pequot. p. 86. ISBN 9780762791897. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  2. ^ Janckowski, Andrew (2017-11-28). "One of Portland's oldest, largest gay bars is closing". PSU Vanguard. Archived from the original on 2018-08-13. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  3. ^ "The Embers Avenue". Downtown Portland and the Downtown Portland Marketing Initiative. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  4. ^ "Thursday is the final night to dance at Embers, one of Portland's last gay dance clubs". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  5. ^ "Portland's Embers Avenue closing after nearly 50 years". KOIN. November 30, 2017. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  6. ^ Wilson, Jamie. "Iconic gay night club Embers closing its doors in Portland". KPTV. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  7. ^ "Portland club Embers to be replaced with similar dance venue, according to building owner". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  8. ^ Knapp, Deb (2024-06-15). "Badlands breathes new life into iconic Portland space once occupied by Embers". KATU. Archived from the original on 2025-07-24. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  9. ^ "One of Portland's oldest, largest gay bars is closing". Daily Vanguard. Portland State University. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Remembering Portland's Iconic Embers Night Club". City Home. 2018-02-20. Archived from the original on 2025-08-27. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  11. ^ Jankowski, Andrew (2024-06-07). "Downtown Portland's Newest LGBTQ+ Bar, Badlands, Will Finally Open Next Week". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2024-06-09. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  12. ^ a b Del Savio, Anna (2024-06-13). "Badlands, Portland's newest LGBTQ+ nightclub, opens". The Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  13. ^ a b c d Notorianni, John (2017-11-30). "Saying Goodbye To Embers, A Landmark For Oregon's LGTBQ Communities". OPB. Archived from the original on 2025-12-10. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  14. ^ "40-Year-Old Downtown Gay Club Embers Will Close Thursday Night". Willamette Week. 2017-11-29. Archived from the original on 2025-12-06. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  15. ^ Bynum, Nate (2017-12-01). "End of an Era: Embers closes doors permanently". KATU. Archived from the original on 2025-12-26. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  16. ^ Olson, Donald. "The Embers Avenue in Portland OR - Nightlife | Frommer's". www.frommers.com. Frommers. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-17. Though primarily a gay disco, Embers is also popular with straights. It's a big, sprawling place with lots of flashing lights on the dance floor and sweaty bodies going until the early morning.
  • Media related to Embers Avenue at Wikimedia Commons
  • The Embers Avenue at The Portland Mercury
  • Sexy space music by Andrea Vedder (May 4, 2010), Daily Vanguard
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