When Portland music lovers talk about their favorite venues, The Get Down has rapidly risen to the top of the conversation. Since opening its doors in April 2022, this basement gem has quickly established itself as one of the most exciting additions to the city’s vibrant music scene.
The buzz is spreading fast and for good reason. What exactly makes this 400-capacity underground venue in close-in Southeast Portland so special? We sat down with owner Blake Boris-Schachter to discover why The Get Down is becoming a must-visit destination for artists and music fans alike.
A Dream 15 Years in the Making
Like many revolutionary ideas, The Get Down was born from a common frustration. “In college, I tried to buy Radiohead tickets and I got frustrated with the Ticketmaster experience,” Blake explained during our VenueLlama podcast interview. That frustration sparked a 15-year journey to create something different—a venue that puts music lovers, artists, and staff on equal footing.
What makes Blake’s approach unique is his background. Unlike many venue owners who worked their way up through the music industry, he came from the corporate events world. “I didn’t necessarily know a lot about booking when I started. I didn’t know anything about running a bar,” he admits. “But I did know some stuff about budgeting and people flow and permitting and contracting and insurance that, a lot of the time, isn’t necessarily a forefront of the music industry.”
Blake’s path wasn’t straightforward. After an earlier attempt to open a venue in Worcester, Massachusetts fell through around 2010, he spent most of the next decade working in tech in San Francisco. His attention eventually turned to Portland as a potential location, drawn partly by cheaper liquor licenses but also because of Portland’s “strong collection of independently owned music venues” that suggested fairer competition rather than battling industry giants.
Why The Name “The Get Down”?
Blake came up with the name over a decade ago while living in San Francisco, likely while listening to James Brown. When he found the perfect basement space in Portland where patrons literally “go downstairs to get down to the Get Down,” it felt like destiny.
“When people asked what type of music was going to be at The Get Down, I said primarily stuff you can dance to,” Blake shared. The space, with its floor that some say has a “roller skate rink vibe” (though it was never actually a roller rink), is designed to be “a really good place to intentionally dance.”
The Three Pillars: Artists, Patrons, and Staff
“Artist, patrons, and staff—those are my three pillars,” Blake shared. “I think if you treat those three well, you can build something really special.”
What’s remarkable about Blake’s philosophy is his consistency. “The big artists are always going to be treated well. It’s how are you treating the artist that didn’t sell out the room, or lo and behold that didn’t even clear your expenses, or that maybe you think is below that space—or again, the patrons that aren’t the VIPs, or the staff that isn’t essential.”
This commitment to equal treatment regardless of status or draw has created an ecosystem where everyone—from the sound engineers to the security staff to the performers on stage—feels valued. It’s a stark contrast to venues where the experience can vary wildly depending on who you are or how many tickets you sell.
The Get Down’s Core Values
- Accessibility: Welcoming to all regardless of background
- Sonic Excellence: Meyer sound system with perfect clarity
- Artist Respect: Green room with heated toilet seat and bidet
- Staff Appreciation: Well-trained, respected team
- Immaculate Space: Professionally cleaned after every show
- Community Focus: Supporting diverse local artists
“We Run a Bar That Happens to Have Live Music”
One of the most enlightening revelations from our conversation was Blake’s candid assessment of the venue business model. “As a music venue owner, I really do operate a bar that happens to have live music in it,” he explained. “The amount that the bar is how live music operates these days is pretty crazy.”
This business reality shapes everything about The Get Down, but Blake has found ways to balance commerce with artistic integrity. He’s focused on creating a space where both the artists and audience feel valued, something that becomes evident the moment you step through the door.
To ensure both quality and efficiency behind the bar, Blake partnered with bar manager Andrew Harrison, who brings extensive experience from venues like Deadshot and Doug Fir. The Get Down employs an innovative kegged cocktail system to keep lines moving without sacrificing quality, featuring signature drinks like the Delorean Margarita made with clarified lime cordial created using a culinary centrifuge.
Backstage Banter: Meet the Team
Ever wonder about the people who make The Get Down run so smoothly? Check out our new Backstage Banter series on Instagram, where we go behind the scenes with venue staff!
Our first feature spotlights Mitch, an integral part of The Get Down team. See Mitch’s Backstage Banter →
Sound Obsession: “I Want the Best Sounding Room in Portland”
Perhaps nothing demonstrates Blake’s commitment to quality more than his investment in a Meyer sound system—a top-tier setup used by acts like the Grateful Dead. When his sound engineer initially proposed a more budget-friendly option, Blake could hear the lack of enthusiasm in his voice.
“Steve, you don’t sound excited,” Blake recalled telling his sound engineer, Steve Harrell (formerly the lead tech at the Doug Fir, which Blake considered Portland’s best-sounding room at the time). “I want the best sounding room in Portland. It doesn’t sound like these are going to give it to me—is that true?”
The answer led to a budget reshuffling to accommodate a Meyer system, a decision that has paid audible dividends. A Meyer Pro expert named Tim spent three days meticulously calibrating the system, mapping every square foot of the venue with white noise to ensure perfect sound throughout the space.
“Listen to Pink Floyd or any of Steely Dan, any of those super well-recorded things—you will hear stuff that you never heard before coming out of those speakers,” Blake enthused. “It’s that clarity that makes Meyer so good.”
This obsession with sonic excellence isn’t just about bragging rights. It’s about respecting both the artists who perform and the audiences who come to experience live music.
Join The Get Down Street Team!
Would you like to earn free tickets in exchange for helping promote events at The Get Down? They are looking to add a few more passionate music fans to the TGD street team. If interested, check out this post on their Instagram account (@getdownpdx) and follow the application instructions to join the team!
Beyond the Music: The Details Matter
What truly separates The Get Down from other venues are the details most places overlook. The space is professionally cleaned after every show—a practice Blake acknowledged is rare in the industry. “Most venues probably don’t do that; I don’t know if anyone does, to be honest, in terms of actual music venues.”
The green room features luxury touches like a heated toilet seat with a bidet. The venue operates on a schedule that recognizes not everyone wants shows ending at 1 AM on a Tuesday. “I try to keep stuff earlier and make it so that hey, you can come out and see a Tuesday show and it could be awesome and you’re in bed by 10:30.”
These considerations create an environment where people want to be, whether there’s a packed house or just 70 people in attendance. “When there’s not as many people, it still felt good, it felt like the right people,” Blake noted. “That’s something that requires cultivation.”
The Get Down is also actively involved in community initiatives like The Get Down Funk Collective, an improvisational music series that brings together world-class Portland-area funk musicians who might not otherwise have the opportunity to share a stage. This initiative showcases local talent and provides exposure for Portland bands, reflecting Blake’s commitment to supporting the local music ecosystem.
The Reality of Venue Life: “It’s Not for the Faint of Heart”
Running a venue isn’t always glamorous. Blake opened The Get Down as the final Omicron wave of the pandemic was still causing disruptions. “Navigating that and educating people in a new space and getting them comfortable with going inside created money stresses that I definitely know is not necessarily for the faint of heart.”
He juggled venue ownership with a full-time corporate job for a significant period, serving as the director of global events for a tech company of 900 people while simultaneously launching The Get Down. The hours were brutal—”14 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week,” by his estimation.
Pro Tip for Bands: The Get Down provides excellent artist hospitality. The green room features a heated toilet seat with a bidet, and Blake’s philosophy ensures artists are treated well regardless of draw. This makes it an ideal stop for touring acts looking for a venue that truly respects musicians.
Looking Ahead: Changing the Industry
Blake’s ambitions extend far beyond a single successful venue. His ultimate goal is to “change the way ticketing works in the concert industry,” a vision that requires expanding to multiple venues to gain leverage.
“Eventually I have plans around that both in the primary and secondary ticketing market, and the best way to do that is to increase buying power, which is owning more venues,” he explains. “I personally plan on doing more venues in Portland and also eventually outside of that as well.”
He’s also focused on creating better conditions for touring artists, recognizing that both venues and bands at this level are struggling financially. This has led him to explore collective bargaining for hotels, mechanics, and other tour expenses—a corporate approach that could help independent musicians survive on the road.
Looking to the future of The Get Down itself, Blake envisions expanding into more multi-night residencies where artists can play more intimate shows, growing the venue’s comedy programming, and increasing the frequency of events across the week. He’s also exploring ideas like multi-track recordings of live performances and vinyl pressings from shows at the venue.
The Heart of The Get Down
What stands out most about Blake and The Get Down is the genuine passion behind it all. In an industry where burnout is common, Blake maintains his enthusiasm and vision. He’s created a venue that musicians want to play, that staff want to work at, and that audiences want to experience—the perfect trifecta for a sustainable music venue.
As Blake puts it, “I believe that venues and well-run venues, not just the look and feel of them or sound of them, but also well-run venues matter so much… There’s plenty of places that you show up and everyone’s in a crap mood, and that’s hard to fight through. If you got a crew that doesn’t want to be there and a staff that doesn’t want to be there and patrons that are like, ‘well, I really like this band, but I hate this place,’ it’s going to feel weird. It’s going to be really hard to put on a good show in that environment.”
A visit to The Get Down reveals that Blake has achieved his goal of creating a venue where the music sounds incredible, the staff are welcoming, the artists are treated with respect, and the crowd feels the love that went into creating the space. It’s a reminder that the venue itself is as much a part of the show as the artists on stage, and when done right, it elevates the entire live music experience.
Watch Our Full Interview with Blake Boris-Schachter:
This article was created based on Episode 7 of the VenueLlama Podcast. The full conversation with Blake explores even more insights about venue management and the music industry.
The Get Down @ Venue Llama
Want more details about The Get Down? Check out Venue Llama’s dedicated Get Down page where you can find full venue details, write your own review, rate your experience, and see what other music fans are saying!
The Get Down
615 SE Alder St, Suite B
Portland, OR 97214
thegetdownpdx.com