DJ Beyonda’s Soul Night has been a huge night in Portland for 3 years now. Every second Thursday of each month the inevitable line to get into Rotture’s second story space stretches down the stairs and out under the fluorescent streetlights of Portland’s inner SE warehouse district.

The space is a popular venue for larger acts and touring bands, but it’s also a gay friendly club that hosts local unsigned bands, experimental noise, and all flavors of electronica. This belies the fact that Soul Night has turned into something other than an event for appreciators of soul music and their friends; it’s turned into a come-one-come-all party.

In an attempt to keep out the “douche bags”, DJ Beyonda is trying an experiment for the first Soul Night of 2010.

The dress code will honor sharply dressed people (suits, shirt tie leather jacket, dress shoes or boots, dresses, skirts, mod or rocknroll style) the usual $3 cover charge. Those who choose to not participate in the theme (by wearing beenies, hoodies, baseball caps, tennis shoes, baggy pants, and overtly casual dress) will pay a $10 cover charge.

I have been to my share of Soul Nights, and while standing outside on Rotture’s upstairs patio in a sea of people it has felt like a crucial part of living in Portland. The great view of the city doesn’t hurt. However, I have seen the charm of the event fading as it becomes even more crowded and even less focused. I hope the dress code will sharpen everyone’s game and return some intimacy to the event. And I can’t help but see this as a cultural milestone in Portland’s big city adolescence.

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Categories: fashion, music, recreation
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