Calling all ages: get ready to jam out at Friends of Noise's new venue

Who doesn't need a little glimpse of joy?

André Middleton, executive director of Friends of Noise, used that argument to bring his vision for an all-ages music venue to life.

"I feel that joy is something that a lot of young people have lost sight of," Middleton said.

Social media, the COVID-19 pandemic and assassination attempts are just the tip of the iceberg of pressures youths are facing. That's why Middleton said this venue matters.

"I've seen so much joy in kids at our shows for the last three years," he said. "My goal is to create a safer space and for kids to get a glimpse of joy."

The space, unlike the building's former business occupant, Dancin' Bare strip club, will now offer a venue for all-ages to explore the world of music.

For anyone eager to visit, patience is a virtue, as the venue is tentatively scheduled to soft launch in mid-October, and hard launch in the Spring of 2025.

Located at 8440 N. Interstate Ave. in Portland, the new venue offers optimal accessibility as it is on a MAX line, allowing those from surrounding cities to catch the light rail and enjoy some fun.

Much of the time the space will host its free workshops and will transform into a concert venue in the evenings. Typical concerts cost around $10 in advance and $12-15 day of the show.

Middleton said their policy is nobody gets turned away for a lack of funds.

"Even if someone shows up and they've only got five bucks, we're gong to let them in," he said.

It's all a part of Friends of Noise's aspirations to facilitate opportunities for all ages into the music industry.

The venue search started back in 2016, the year Friends of Noise was born. A bunch of "music industry folks" got together and were lamenting the lack of a dedicated al-ages space in Portland.

As the hunt for a Friends for Noise storefront ensued, the organization opted to become a nonprofit as a means for raising money, applying for grants and accepting donations.

Middleton said the lease will be secured soon.

"We're just doing almost like a ping pong match between us and the landlord as we work up the final details," he said.

Next up is securing permits from the city. Once secured, they can bring their vision to life and tackle renovations.

"It's going to be a race to open up," Middleton said.

Over the past three to four years, through mission related revenue, Friends of Noise has "stocked away" nearly $300,000 to put toward the project.

In talking with grantors, Middleton said he hopes to have funding for the remodel secured within a few months. A construction company is already reviewing designs to determine future costs.

Some special features include an ADA compliant platform, for unobstructed stage viewing, and and a ramp to the stage for accessibility to load gear, but also for those who are wheelchair assisted.

The 5,000 square foot space will expand its current capacity of 256 people to fit 400 people. To help with the large crowds, there will be five gender neutral bathrooms, so attendees don't have to deal with long wait times for relief.

Other amenities include a green room, café, a recording studio, but otherwise, the goal is to keep it a fairly "blank slate."

Middleton said, "Our aspiration is that once the young people in the community start to occupy the building, that they will adopt it as their own, and we're going to ask them, 'What do you want to see in here?'"

Leaving the space free of obstructions allows for sight lines to the stage, visibility to others across the room, and for logistics sakes, less nooks and crannies for younger folk to get confused by.

In tandem with the fun of learning hands-on skills, and the enjoyment of rocking out at a concert, Middleton hopes the youth led space with also serve as a workforce development center.

"We hope that kids are getting real world skills," he said.

It's not only about hard skills from learning how to run sound, but soft skills like time management and collaboration.

A day-in-the-life at this venue will vary on the season, but an average day might have students participating in workshops, providing summer programs and preparing sound checks for upcoming shows.

The doors open at 6 p.m., and once it reaches 11 p.m., everything will be shut down — that timeline is one that can be counted on.

"I'll confess, I'm getting too old to be able to survive in the morning," Middleton said laughing.

But realistically, without the need to rely on nighttime booze sales, there isn't much reason to host concert into the wee hours of the morning.

To further transform the space, by buying folding tables and chairs, Middleton hopes to rent the venue out at times for public events, community meetings and more.

Middleton said, "I think that glimpse of joy needs to be mass produced."