pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

As reported in the Portland Mercury…

After 17 years of hosting live music, Berbati’s Pan will cease booking concerts starting the first of next year. The restaurant half will stay operational, while the venue itself will be split between a smaller room under Berbati’s control (that might, on occasion, host events), and an expanded space for Voodoo Doughnuts to better serve the tourists that see it necessary to lineup on SW 3rd during all hours of the day and night for a freaking doughnut. But the days of Berbati’s consistently hosting music are numbered.

“Attendance was really down and it’s not like rent went down with attendance,” explained booker Matt King. “Plus competition was a major factor as well.” King took over the booking reigns from Anthony Sanchez around April of last year, a job he did along with publicity for the club. “The writing had been on the wall, and the club has been struggling for a number of years before I was involved,” said King.

The final show in Berbati’s as we know it will be on New Year’s Eve. No word yet on the lineup.

I’ve only been there a few times, but they were always great shows… Berbati’s Pan will be missed.

• King’s X in June 2009
• Nellie McKay in March 2010
• Antibalas Afrobeat in July 2010

~Dan – np: The Weepies – Be My Thrill