A karaoke bar eighty-sixes a customer for photographing women. One month later, he’s still there.
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MICHAEL WEDEL-DURROW protests the Alibi Monday-Friday, 7-9 am and 4-6 pm. IMAGE: Rachel Schiff
Like a dejected lover, Michael Wedel-Durrow stands outside the Alibi Restaurant and Lounge in North Portland, alternately hoping to hurt his beloved bar or win it back. He misses the dim tiki lounge where he sang Beatles songs or Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” amid eerie statues frozen mid-hula.
Earlier this summer, Wedel-Durrow was banned from the Alibi for taking photos of female customers and “making them uncomfortable,” according to owner Larry White.
Now he stands outside the karaoke bar for four hours nearly every day to picket the business with a sign urging customers to stay away: “BOYCOTT the ALIBI!!! Help FIGHT discrimination in public accommodations and harassment!”
Wedel-Durrow, a 41-year-old African-American man who’s 4 feet 9 inches tall, says he was simply taking pictures for friends’ birthdays and coming-home parties. “I believe I was 86’d because I am a gregarious single black male who took the whole [karaoke] thing really seriously,” he says.
After the Alibi, on North Interstate Avenue and Shaver Street, banned Wedel-Durrow the night of July 27, he returned 20 minutes later with a handwritten sign. He remained until the bar closed at 2 am.
The expulsion came as Wedel-Durrow was recovering from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a condition that blisters skin and organ coverings. Treatment for the disease scarred Wedel-Durrow’s vocal cords, but doctors gave him hope when they told him singing could heal his damaged pipes (His doctor wasn’t available to discuss this therapy). For Wedel-Durrow, the healing process took place three to four nights a week at the Alibi. There, he would order onion rings and sing as many as 12 songs a night.
Then the ritual came to an abrupt halt. Lindsey Grant, a friend of Wedel-Durrow, witnessed his banishment when he tried to return on July 30. “Mike was 86’d because he doesn’t fit in; because he’s a man of color and he’s small,” says Grant. Wedel-Durrow believes the Alibi has violated his civil rights, but no lawyer has agreed to take his case.
Alibi staff says it has moved on.
“His sign increases the number of people that come in,” says bartender Amy Hand. “They are curious.”
Wedel-Durrow, however, insists that his sign has turned off potential Alibi revelers. But he’s not satisfied with that. “I’m going to stay here until I get an apology,” he says. “I’m not walking away with my tail between my legs.”
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Experience the sights and sounds of Michael Wedel-Durrow's forbidden karaoke:
A professional journalist would have listened equally to the management of The Alibi and to Michael Durrow, who was refused service at The Alibi. The evening manager, Reed, had told Michael that he was not spending enough money, and that he would have to pay a special cover charge of $20, in order for him to be able to sing karaoke. The issue of taking pictures did not come into the reasoning. Actually, on July 31, a small group of three women were celebrating a birthday for Michael's aunt. We had reserved a table, had ordered appetizers and drinks, paid our $1 fee for the karaoke, and were just having a pleasant time; the servers were friendly, as was the woman, in charge of the karaoke functions. When Michael came to join us, he had flowers for his aunt, the acting evening manager [I believe his name was Michael] came to our table and told Michael that he had to leave. When I asked for a reason, I was told that he could not talk about that.
Next we were stunned by being told that they now were refusing to serve us, and that we had to leave as well. The manager proceeded to remove our orders from the table, refused to give me a check for the amount we had ordered for. The scene was unreal!
Not that the place is so great; but we were there because it had been important to Michael to participate in the social life at The Alibi. In spite of the enormous setbacks he has had with numerous health issues, he still stands tall [yes, in spite of his small stature]He still continues to work at being part of society. And that is no joke. In my view his rights were violated; to be refused service because you are not spending enough money, and then have the word go out, that you somehow took some inappropriate pictures. The pictures were/ are of high quality, amazing in that dark room, and he gave the pictures away to the people he took the pictures of. Michael did not make any money on the pictures, nor did he attempt to do so. Management even liked the combination sheets. When one of the managers [Reed, I believe] told Michael to stop taking pictures, he stopped.
I find it slanderous that they have the attitude they now have portrayed to Willamette Week, and I'm surprised that the news desk editor did not verify the accusations, or at least gave equal weight to the impressions from both parties.
For a last word: Chopsticks 2 is actually a much friendlier place, and is welcoming to all guests.
Thank you for hearing my version of the events. Birgit Wedel
Oh, yeah, it's just 'cause he's black. Michael, get a grip; yer gone because you made the ladies uncomfortable, and that's just bad for bizness. GREEN is the only color that a business knows; you were welcome to come to the Alibi and spend yours until you started getting creepy.
Michael, come to Las Vegas to the House of Blues' RockStar Karaoke at Manadalay Bay Hotel/Casino. No cover charge. You sing with a real live band instead of recorded music. Lyrics/words are still on a monitor if you need them.
Here's a video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wgpm6m-7n8w
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MICHAEL WEDEL-DURROW protests the Alibi Monday-Friday, 7-9 am and 4-6 pm. 
Next we were stunned by being told that they now were refusing to serve us, and that we had to leave as well. The manager proceeded to remove our orders from the table, refused to give me a check for the amount we had ordered for. The scene was unreal!
Not that the place is so great; but we were there because it had been important to Michael to participate in the social life at The Alibi. In spite of the enormous setbacks he has had with numerous health issues, he still stands tall [yes, in spite of his small stature]He still continues to work at being part of society. And that is no joke. In my view his rights were violated; to be refused service because you are not spending enough money, and then have the word go out, that you somehow took some inappropriate pictures. The pictures were/ are of high quality, amazing in that dark room, and he gave the pictures away to the people he took the pictures of. Michael did not make any money on the pictures, nor did he attempt to do so. Management even liked the combination sheets. When one of the managers [Reed, I believe] told Michael to stop taking pictures, he stopped.
I find it slanderous that they have the attitude they now have portrayed to Willamette Week, and I'm surprised that the news desk editor did not verify the accusations, or at least gave equal weight to the impressions from both parties.
For a last word: Chopsticks 2 is actually a much friendlier place, and is welcoming to all guests.
Thank you for hearing my version of the events. Birgit Wedel
I failed to include that Michael is my oldest son, and that I'm very proud of him and his courage to stand for what is right.
Birgit Wedel
Here's a video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wgpm6m-7n8w