Portland’s New Black-Owned Bar Pours Up Community And Music

The Downbeat is the latest Black-owned bar in Portland to do more than pour drinks.

Instead, the Black establishment has plans to foster community through music. Welcoming local artists to perform, visitors near and far walk down the stairs to a new hub for the culture. Alongside a kitchen serving a blend of Caribbean and Southern-inspired drinks and cuisine, a full stage is ready for music to fill the room.

OPB reports that music is a major theme throughout the pub, with appetizers and small plates called “openers” and entrees and desserts called “headliners” and “closers,” respectively. On its walls are framed photos of R&B, Jazz, and Soul legends from Sade to Billie Holiday. Even its drinks pay homage to hip-hop classics, as the Hennessy sidecar cocktail is reimagined as “Stunting Like My Caddy,” referencing the 2006 hit by Birdman and Lil Wayne.

Portland’s small-but-mighty Black community has voyaged to the establishment, which is considered a rarity for its focus on Black art.

“I didn’t think Portland had something for Black people, and so to see this be done by Black people, I think, is so cool and dope,” shared one patron, Jamon Jordan, to a news outlet.

The Downbeat’s owners, Cyrus Coleman and Adewale Agboola, fought for years to get a space for their lofty idea. Their mission for the bar, which sits right in Old Town-Chinatown, is to connect the city’s Black community through music.

“The first step is just having a space, right? So that’s been the biggest hurdle for us. Over the past five years, we’ve been trying to get this thing off the ground. Now, we’ve got an amazing community,” shared Coleman. “We’re just music lovers, in general, trying to create something unique across generations and genres.”

Since opening in February, they have maintained this momentum. The Black-owned bar offers Black Portlandians a chance to connect and feel empowered in a city that often leaves them feeling marginalized. According to Oregon ArtsWatch, Portland’s Albina neighborhood once housed many Black musicians, especially in the middle of the 20th century. However, gentrification and systemic displacement led to the decline of this community.

Now, The Downbeat hopes to reclaim Portland’s Black musical legacy and history. Folks can have a drink and catch a performance nightly from Thursday to Sunday.

“The entire building itself is a gym for the creative mind,” Agboola added. “I’ve always loved people and loved my community, so The Downbeat is a reflection of that: that togetherness.”

However, this celebration of Portland’s Black artistic scene doesn’t end with music. Upstairs, the Contrast Gallery promotes local artists and their work. The next floor even has a photography studio, with plans for more programming that brings the community even closer.

“It’s a beautiful way to realize we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves,” Coleman said. “Imagine if, when we moved here, this existed. The city would have been a lot less daunting and culturally shocking. To have this space where we can be seen and felt and heard and safe, to be able to be a part of making the change that you want to see, as opposed to waiting around and hoping somebody else will make it, just felt like a no-brainer.”

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