 IMAGE: vivianjohnson.com |
From the neon-sign logo referencing ’70s seminal pop-rock band Big Star to the old pages of Creem magazine plastered all over the bathrooms, newcomer Star Bar (639 SE Morrison St., 232-5553, star-bar-rocks.com) is clearly aiming to be Portland’s new rock ’n’ roll hangout. It’s got all the right ingredients: a jukebox crammed with classics, cheap drinks (taps are $2-$4), a seriously tasty build-your-own-burger menu (starting at $7), a solid happy hour ($1.50 sliders, $3 wells), suitably tattooed barstaff and vinyl-only DJs every night. It’s just missing one thing: loud, sweaty, drunken rock pigs to make it their home. Right now, it feels a bit like a nice bar with a rock ’n’ roll theme. The squeaky-clean leather couches are crying out for some beer, blood and vomit stains. Walls need to be dirtier, floors need to be stickier. Let’s help them, shall we?
