Skip to main content
Relaxation and rock ‘n’ roll used to be an oxymoron.
But music will reverberate against the soaking pools at Knot Springs’ Summer Concert Series. For their eighth year, the social wellness club will be hosting live music every Thursday night through Aug. 21.
“We really wanted to just offer Portland something unique,” says Alli Lurie, director of hospitality at Knot Springs and organizer behind the concert series. “We’re not a quiet hush-hush spa environment at all. We really do encourage people to socialize and have a good time.”
Audiences can soak in a pool—warm, hot, or the cold plunge—or in a dry sauna overlooking the westside skyline of Portland and take in the live shows as Knot Springs opens their sliding doors to the deck where artists will be performing.
Like previous years, 20% of every ticket will be donated to the Jeremy Wilson Foundation, which provides support to those in the music industry, including family dependents and musician’s staff. Started by Jeremy Wilson in 2010, they offer social workers for medical navigation and financial assistance.
“It means a lot,” Wilson, the now executive director of JWF, says about the donation. He estimates it will cover one-and-a-half full grants (he tells WW the average grant is 1500.) “I think that it’s really beautiful of [Lurie] to, every year, put together this series where she [invites] artists to come and give them a good paying gig.”
Lurie tells WW she attempts to find Portland artists from all backgrounds to cater to different audiences. Benjamin Tyler, the drummer for Portland based indie-pop band Small Million, will perform a one-man show as Small-Skies the amorphous synth sounds on July 31. Nick Gamer, formerly the guitarist for Japanese Breakfast, will pluck his ballads on Aug 7, followed by Portland State University jazz instructor Christopher Brown, who will lead his quartet on August 14. The series will finish with the songwriter and producer Ben Larson on Aug 21.
“There’s a lot of people out there who might not prefer to go to bars to see a band, or might be recovering alcoholic,” Lurie says. “I’ve always wanted people to be able to see amazing local musicians, but in a healthy environment.”
SEE IT: Summer Concert Series at Knot Springs, 33 NE 3rd Ave Suite 365, 503-222-5668, knotsprings.com/pages/music-series, 6 pm Thursdays July 17–Aug. 21. $89 for soak and concert pass for non-springs members.
