03:00 PM : Crystal Ballroom's 91st B-Day @ Crystal Ballroom

HOUSE PARTY! Flyered by kmikeym

McMenamins and Willamette Week present
The Crystal Ballroom's 91st BIRTHDAY FREE-FOR-ALL!!
NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS, B-Side Players,
94/7fm "Get Local" showcase," 3 Leg Torso, "Hive,"
NFL playoffs, Hillstomp,Tours, Tastings,
Balloon guy, face painting & MORE!
Noon to midnight and beyond | FREE!! | All ages (Lola's & the Annex 21+)

The Crystal Ballroom celebrates its 91st Birthday with an all-day free party with fun happening on 4 floors, highlighted by the North Mississippi Allstars.

Noon to midnight and beyond | FREE!! | All ages (Lola's & the Annex 21+)

In appreciation for the Portland area's kind support and patronage, the Crystal Ballroom, joined by Willamette Week, proudly presents its 91st Birthday Free-For-All Celebration, and invites the entire community to be its honored guest for this annual all-day free presentation of four floors of fun.

With events taking place from noon to midnight and beyond, the doors to the Crystal Ballroom, Lola's Room, Ringlers and Ringlers Annex are flung open for a free party that features live music, DJs, history presentations, tours, tastings, screenings of the NFL playoffs, children's entertainment and more. Quite simply, there is something for just about everybody.

Following in the tradition of our previous four birthday parties (most notably R.L. Burnside, whose Crystal performance resulted in his Grammy-nominated CD, Burnside on Burnside), this year's show concludes with a bang. This year's featured act is a house favorite: the funky heavy brass of NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS as the featured act.

Other highlights to this spectacular event include:

- Music from the B-Side Players, 3 Leg Torso, Hillstomp, an Indie-rock showcase featuring acts hosted by 94/7fm's "Get Local" program, acts from Rock & Roll Camp for Girls and First Octave, and of course our featured act, the North Mississippi Allstars;

- DJ'd music from DJ Barron and DJ Blackout;

- The NFC and AFC Championship games, projected on our ten-foot screen in Ringlers Pub;

- Wine and liquor tastings at Ringlers Annex, and brewery tours and tastings in our brewery on the second floor of the Crystal;

- Information about private event opportunities, available from our sales crew;

- Merchandise for sale, such as CDs, rock goodies and McMenamins mementos;

- Tours of the grounds by company historian Tim Hills;

- Fun for the kids, including a balloon guy and face painting.

- Music merchandising by our friends from Music Millennium.

Several acts appear by virtue of their affiliation with great causes. First Octave, a non-profit fund that is specifically earmarked for music education in Portland schools, and Rock ‘n' Roll Camp for Girls, a day camp that teaches girls the basics of creating and playing rock 'n' roll music, are both presenting sets of music. Both organizations will have materials available at the Crystal Ballroom, and we are thrilled to have their participation.

The Crystal Ballroom, where truly on any night ANYTHING can happen, is proud to celebrate its 91st birthday with such a variety of entertainment. Fun-seekers of all ages are invited to help us honor the occasion with this fabulous FREE daylong celebration.

Please note – full music descriptions, times and links are available below, and at our website, www.danceonair.com.

SCHEDULE & ARTIST INFORMATION

*** CRYSTAL BALLROOM - All ages ***

1pm History Tours

3pm to 5pm – Rock & Roll Camp for Girls, a day camp that teaches girls the basics of creating and playing rock 'n' roll music, will be presenting three acts: Emma Dills, Fringe and The Ready.
Visit www.girlsrockcamp.org for more information.

5pm to 7pm – First Octave, non-profit fund that is specifically earmarked for music education in Portland schools, presents acts that have benefited from their priceless service to our community.
Visit www.firstoctave.org for more information.

8pm to 10pm – The B-Side Players
For over a decade the B-Side Players have brought their furiously infectious blend of Latin, funk, rock, reggae, and soul to audiences from Baja Mexico to New York City. An ethnically diverse group of artists with various passions for a broad range of musical styles, the band's horns and percussion add a depth and character to their already intense, complex sound. Never pigeonholed, the band will even color their live performances with signature riffs borrowed from hard-edged bands like Jane's Addiction and Metallica.
Visit www.bsideplayers.com for more information.

10pm to Midnight – The North Mississippi Allstars
The keystone event of the day features a Crystal Ballroom favorite, the blues, gospel and roots rock of The North Mississippi Allstars. One of the most intriguing acts to emerge from the loam of Southern blues and roots rock, the Allstars have always been about much more than their regional scene. From hardcore to punk rock to British rock to the latest acts on MTV, they've absorbed a wide variety of music and filter it through their own sound. Deeply rooted but without musical borders to hem them in, the Allstars will provide an unforgettable soul-drenched ending to the Crystal's biggest production of the year.
Visit www.nmsallstars.com for more information.

*** LOLA'S ROOM - 21 & over ***

5pm to 9pm – 94/7fm "Get Local" Showcase
Portland station 94/7fm has joined the Crystal's party this year, having booked an assortment of great acts for Lola's Room, including Climber, Oliver, Careen and Puma Frenzy.
www.947.fm

9pm to Midnight – "Hive"
"Hive," our weekly Goth-Industrial-Darkwave Dance Night, is offered every Sunday in Lola's Room as an excuse to play some dark and dancy music, to get down and to watch other stylish people get down. Bringing the hits is DJ Blackout and her extensive music collection, ready to help everyone get their goth dance on.
Visit www.darkhive.com for more information.

*** RINGLERS PUB - All ages ***

12pm and 3:30pm – AFC and NFC Championships
Even in the midst of the day's festivities, football fans will be able to sneak a peek at the afternoon's NFL excitement. With a ten-foot screen and great sound, Ringlers may well end up being one giant football party, so serious viewers should come early and grab a seat.

7pm to 9pm – Hillstomp
Drawing heavily from North Mississippi trance blues, a bit from Appalachia and taking its unstoppable energy from rockabilly, this Portland duo balances a makeshift drumkit of buckets, cans and BBQ lids with some rambunctious slide guitar. Think old-timey blues filtered through hops and the Ramones! Whether arranging traditionals, classics, or deceptively stark original songs, Hillstomp has duct-taped together a distinctive sound that quickly made them favorites across Portland and beyond.
Visit www.hillstomp.com for more information.

*** RINGLERS ANNEX - 21 & over ***
The candlelit ambience of Ringlers Annex' Cellar Bar makes it a favorite little secret among Crystal show-goers. This month's artwork features concert poster art by none other than the Crystal's own Jim Burkholder.

3pm to 6pm – 3 Leg Torso (downstairs)
Playing an eclectic synthesis of chamber music, tango, Klezmer, Latin and world music, 3 Leg Torso contains a lightness within its talent, and a sense of whimsy that makes its stately and creative compositions a true joy to witness.
Visit www.3legtorso.com for more information.

4pm to 7pm – Wine and liquor tastings (upstairs)
Up on the upper deck of the Annex, McMenamins Winemaster Bill Fuller and Master Distiller Ty Reeder will be on hand to pour samples of what McMenamins winery and distillery have to offer and to answer any questions.

8pm to Midnight – DJ Gabriel (downstairs)
When the scene at the Crystal gets to be a bit boisterous, the Annex can be an oasis of calm.

*** CRYSTAL BREWERY - 21 & over ***

2pm to 6pm – Brewery tours and tastings – McMenamins is truly the kingdom that beer built; come see where the wizards do their work.