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“Seasoned appreciators know the best time to visit Mary’s is 8:30 pm,” Susie, one of the club’s dancers, says. “At that time you’ve got three midshift dancers finishing up and four night shift dancers just starting. It just maximizes the number of dancers you get to see at Mary’s.”
An iconic presence downtown—with a large, glittering marquee—Mary’s Club proudly held down its Southwest Broadway location and its title as “Portland’s First Topless” establishment.
In mid-August, Mary’s current manager Virginia Goranson told WW the building had been sold and the club would be forced to move, but promised it was only a relocation, not a closure. The club is currently open and the move date has not yet been announced. But two of Mary’s dancers—Susie and Rocket—want to give customers “a chance at the hot seat, one more time.“
Much like they did during the pandemic, Susie and Rocket will host a virtual show Monday, Sept. 20, at 8 pm, broadcast entirely from inside Mary’s.
“For the people who can’t make it to the club one more time,” Susie explains, “who aren’t feeling great about going out yet.”
They’re also going to answer the long-asked question: Hey, what’s down those stairs?
Those who’ve been to Mary’s will know the dancers enter the stage by ascending a staircase. “What’s down the stairs is the basement of a really old building,” Susie says. But people ask, so she plans to pull back the curtain for the curious and obsessed.
WATCH: Check out the Mary’s Club Instagram for details on how to buy tickets. The account requires users to specify they are 18 or older in their profile to view it.
