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The idea for The Downbeat started five years ago, during a dinner party.
Adewale “Walé” Agboola had just moved to Portland. It was midpandemic and he, like many, was craving community. So he started throwing dinner parties with friends and friends of friends to get like-minded people together. One such night, he and Cyrus Coleman started brainstorming business ideas. The duo dreamed up a coworking concept, quickly rented a studio, and named their project The Creative Homies. But another idea, for a space dedicated to music, art, food and gathering people together, kept percolating in the back of their minds.
Agboola eventually took a job in L.A. but kept talking to Coleman about it. When they had the chance to buy the Horizon Enterprise Building in Old Town, they knew that was their spot. Agboola boomeranged back to Portland in December to see the idea through. “People ask me why I came back and I just say, ‘I made a promise to a dear friend!’ Your word has value,” Agboola tells WW.
That promise became The Downbeat, Portland’s newest music venue, which celebrated its grand opening Feb. 5. Agboola and Coleman spent a lot of time thinking about how they wanted the downstairs music venue to look and feel. They worked with design firm Holst to reimagine the entire building’s construction. But, they themselves obsessed over every detail of the interior design. Just below street level, the intimate, low-lit room feels reminiscent of Jimmy Mak’s or other bygone jazz clubs, yet is entirely its own.
The curved bar is dotted with chartreuse glass pendant lights, deep leather booths and velvet curtains line the back wall, and custom candles that smell like honey and white tea are dispersed throughout the room. Agboola wanted the stage area to be cozy, like a living room. A large, vintage rug is tucked under the speakers and there’s a gallery wall of framed images behind where the musicians play—a collection of the co-owners’ influences. Some are expected (Sade looking glamorous, a zoomed-in photo of Miles Davis’ hands), others a bit cheeky (a rogue photo of Damian Lillard looking over his shoulder). It’s very much a space designed by two friends who love music and hosting people.
“I want everyone to feel comfortable, seen and heard here,” Agboola says. “It’s about showing up with curiosity, leaning into the rhythm of the room and engaging with the moment fully. Movement and groove are essential.”
Groove runs in the family, too. Coleman’s dad, Tony “TJ” Coleman, played drums for B.B. King for over three decades and will be one of the first musical acts to play at The Downbeat. Coleman remembers falling asleep inside his father’s drums after shows when he was little, so this feels incredibly full circle. Coleman’s grandfather, King Coleman, was also in the business as a celebrated DJ—his is one of the framed photos lining the stage wall.
But Agboola insists they are not boxing themselves into playing “just jazz.” There will also be DJ sets and they intend to have music programming of all genres in future. “It’s intentionally broad,” Agboola says. “We are testing things out in February but will know so much more in March.”
Even the name The Downbeat comes from music—the downbeat is the first note of a measure. “It’s the moment when rhythm begins,” Agboola says. “It also informs the energy of the space and the way guests will experience the sound and their social lives here together.”
While the beating heart of The Downbeat is for sure the music, gathering around food and drink is just as important to Agboola and Coleman. They tapped Zackary Onuoha to develop The Downbeat’s menus. The tapas-style plates draw from Caribbean, Southern and broader African diaspora influences, like a plantain and black bean tostada and sweet potato cornmeal gnocchi. The menu itself is designed to read like a set list: Appetizers are “Openers,” mains are “Headliners,” sides are “Features,” desserts are “Closers.” The drink menu is cocktail-heavy but in a playful way. Take, the “High Key”—their riff on a martini that’s served with lychee.
Upstairs, guests will see Agboola and Coleman’s tandem project—The Contrast Gallery. Randiss “Wonder” Hopkins, their director of creative operations, has taken the lead with this space. He is so hands-on that he could be seen personally hanging paintings in the lead-up to opening the first show.
The inaugural exhibit is Conversations With Myself, by artist Guy Marshall. Marshall was previously a footwear designer for brands like G.H. Bass and Adidas. He’s now retired from design and paints full time at his home studio in Portland. This series is noteworthy because it’s the first time Marshall’s paintings have been on view publicly. The show serves as an intimate look into his personal archive of the past 40 years, one that Agboola and Coleman say they are honored to introduce.
The gallery is a high-ceilinged room with glass-encased smaller rooms at the center. These offshoot rooms are set up to house certain “eras” of Marshall’s work—like a walkable timeline. The ability to step into a more focused space and out of the main room is something Agboola likes too. “You can take a minute and really go deep.”
Both the downstairs club and upstairs gallery, despite extensive construction, still reflect the historic “bones” of the building. Selecting a location in this area was intentional for Agboola and Coleman. “As Black owners and founders, we wanted to invest in this diverse neighborhood,” Agboola says. “We’re rehabilitating this building into a place for gathering, creativity and community for Portland’s Black and BIPOC residents.”
Other downtown businesses, like magazine store Chess Club and the recently relocated Deadstock Coffee, were inspirations for them too. “This is where we’re seeing the city’s cool culture,” Agboola says, “and we want to be a part of it, expand it and show everyone what Portland can be.”
GO: The Downbeat, 433 NW 4th Ave., thedownbeatbar.com. 4 pm–2 am Thursday–Sunday.
