Venue

McMenamins Crystal Ballroom is actually three venues rolled into one: The Crystal Ballroom, one of Portland’s premiere live music and party venues, Lola’s Room, little sister to the Crystal Ballroom located one floor directly below, and Ringler’s Pub, a traditional brewpub with a wide selection of beer, wine, and food. Ringler’s Annex, located just across the street, offers another pint-sized pub and espresso bar. Our guests will have full access to all of these facilities during Convergence events. Elevators in the Crystal provide service to each floor, making it easily accessible to bands, wheelchair Goths, or other special needs. Below you’ll find a little more information about each space.

The Crystal Ballroom:

The Crystal Ballroom enjoys national recognition for a reason. No local venue and indeed few in the nation can challenge this elegant ballroom’s 90 years as a premiere place to hear live music, dance, and have memorable experiences. The Crystal opened its doors as a ballroom in 1914, in the days when frisky Portland residents could still be arrested for dancing the Tango. As a live music venue, the Crystal has played host to many musical legends. People still argue about whether it was really Jimmy Hendrix whom Little Richard fired in the middle of a performance here. The Crystal has accommodated hundreds of artists ranging from The Grateful Dead to Billy Idol, James Brown to Nick Cave, Ike & Tina Turner to Liz Phair, and Sonic Youth to Front 242 and the Sisters of Mercy.

The sound quality in the Crystal Ballroom is amazing. In June 2005, the Crystal completely overhauled the sound system, from microphones to speakers. Twice the speakers, each with twice the power. Eight subs under the stage instead of four. EV speakers, Soundcraft mixing boards, triple the amplifiers, digital controls, new mezzanine delay speakers... the works. The result? No dead spots, and improved articulation and tonal quality throughout the entire room.

While the action on the stage has always thrilled, one thing everyone remembers about the Crystal is its astounding “floating” dance floor. The dance floor is suspended by a complex (and newly restored) mechanical system that results in a feeling that has best been described as “dancing on clouds.” It is unique on the Pacific Coast, and may be the last dance floor of its kind in the United States.

You will also appreciate the gorgeous décor, flamboyant wall sconces and light fixtures, grand paintings, and gigantic windows everywhere. People who come to the Crystal seem to be inspired by an energy emanating from the site itself; phenomenon social scientists call the “power of place.”

Lola’s Room:

Lola's Room is the little sister of the Crystal Ballroom, located on the second floor directly below the Crystal. Lola’s Room is a smaller, more intimate space, which makes it an ideal place to take a break from the action upstairs.

Lola’s room is smaller, but it’s no closet – it can accommodate up to 200 people (The Crystal Ballroom has a capacity of up to 1,000). It has its own stage area, a large wooden dance floor, and a full bar. Lola’s Room is home to Hive, Portland’s premiere weekly Goth-Industrial dance night. It boasts an outstanding sound and lighting system, booth and table seating, and a floating dance floor all of its own. Lola’s Room is connected to the Crystal Ballroom via audio and video feeds, so the folks downstairs can see what’s happening upstairs at all times.

The C13 Portland Proposal Committee envisions Lola’s room as being the place to take a break, chill out, and enjoy some great conversation with friends. It also provides an excellent alternative venue just one floor down from the main events.

Ringler’s Pub:

Nestled underneath the floating-floored Crystal Ballroom & Lola's Room in downtown Portland is Ringler's Pub. Named for the Crystal's originator -- dance aficionado and entrepreneur Montrose Ringler – Ringler’s features a tall, wooden-beamed ceiling and massive, tiled bar. The crack of pool cues makes a merry soundtrack in the cavernous interior. Before or after a concert upstairs, treat yourself to ales from the Crystal's brewery along with some hearty pub fare.

Ringler’s Annex:

Located directly across the street from the Crystal Ballroom, Ringler's Annex is a pint-sized pub and espresso bar, a tiny window on the world of bustling West Burnside, a fishbowl-like main floor and mezzanine tailor-made to observe the city in motion. Drop by here to enjoy an espresso in the mezzanine, or a bistro-style lunch. During warm weather, sidewalk seating offers a more intimate view, as well as an entrance to the Annex's subterranean bistro. Downstairs, you'll find what is easily the most unique bar in Portland - the Cellar. Cut off from the light and hubbub, the basement bar is a subterranean cave evoking a hideout for the French Resistance.