Refuge

Amazing space! I’ve always loved this venue but I must say that since the half million $ revamp it’s better then ever. Large industrial open space with option of ad on private rooms, multiple bathrooms, greenroom„ stellar stage, bar, outdoor option. It doesn’t get much better then this.

I certainly had a blast here. My only complaints would be how crowded the bar got. That and the fact that the PORTA POTTYS they had outside didn’t have little lights strung in them or something so that one could see where the tp was.
But in terms of a good dj and a good time, 2 thumbs up!

I love going to Refuge! The crowd is always awesome, the drinks are good, and there is re-​entry. I appreciate that I get a great deal on pre-​sale tickets and get to see some of my favorite djs and bands up close and personal. But PLEASE do something about the port-​a-​potty situation. A non smoker (I smoked for 12 years) should not be forced to stand in an unventilated tent (my hair and clothes reeked of smoke when I got home) while in line to use a toilet without any way to WASH THEIR HANDS. Sure there are hand sanitizers in the Port-​a-​pottys, but they’re always empty. Imagine, everyone in the whole place wandering around with unwashed hands. This would otherwise be a 5 star review.

Sweet venue for your off the beaten path events. Big open warehouse space with a great dance floor.

I went there in 2012 for the Wanderlust circus band, it was awesome. The only complaint was the hard cement floors and no a/​c made it pretty hot in there. I went there again in March’2013 for JaiHo, they had some nice new upgrades wooden floors similar to Crystal Ball Room and a better sound system. The a/​c, fan/​ventilation is not quite sorted out.

The best warehouse style venue in portland. Brings a lot of electronic music. They recently re-​did the floor with hardwood so it’s nice to dance on. Ventilation usually isn’t an issue as there are a couple garage doors that can be opened. They have a pretty good sound system from Alignment Sound.

I went to Refuge for the Digital Underground Show and it was amazing! The VIP treatment goes a long way, with a private bar and some yum yums to keep me going all night long! I literally danced until 3am and it was a blast! Great venue with that urban warehouse feel. Good sound, with some pretty fresh visuals on the walls while the music was playing. I was truly impressed with the staff and caliber of the customer service. Great people great vibe. I will be putting Refuge on my list of good Portland night life. It fills a void in the Portland scene in a big way!

My wife and I saw DJ Mark Farina here a few nights ago and I must say, I really enjoyed Refuge as a live music venue. In fact, I cannot say that I’ve ever enjoyed a venue more than Refuge, regardless of the fact that men have to use portapotties. There is a decent amount of space so you can spread out a bit more than you can at other venues, but it remains a smaller, intimate warehousey venue. There is art on the walls, the drinks were reasonably priced and strong (cash only bar), and the staff was very friendly and inviting. Parking was very easy to find also. I love that it’s located in the central eastside district rather than, say, downtown, where parking can be a chore to find.
I suggest getting to your show a little early and stopping in at Bunk Bar, Clarklewis, Hair of the Dog, or Boke Bowl before hand.
I would gladly give Refuge 5 stars if it wasn’t for the whole portapotty thing. Women, no worries, you get an actual bathroom. But men, you gotta use one of a series of stinking Portapotties. Seems like a small expense for the owners of Refuge to put in a better bathroom system, but hey, there are worse things in life. Overall, it’s a great venue. I’d return again and again.

Finally, my review for Portland’s premier warehouse event space!
Whether it’s electronic music events, large scale party productions, hip hop shows, or art showcases, Refuge pretty much has it dialed in. The venue owner has a rich history of promotion in PDX, and it shows in the curation of events at this place. That’s the thing – it’s not just the venue itself that makes Refuge what it is. It’s the events that really bring this place to life.
The porta potties are kind of a buzzkill, but that’s to be expected when you’re pulling in hundreds of patrons. The security is friendly but firm, there’s lots of space to roam, and the bartenders are usually plucked from other bars in town so there’s a chance you’ll see a face you recognize. Always nice.
Tired of the clubs?
Looking for something different, something more special than Top 40 or rap, that runs past 2am?
Missing the days of yore when there were still warehouse parties being thrown in Portland?
Refuge has it covered.

Refuge is hit or miss. But when it hits, it BUMPS!
Do your research before you head over.

Cool place to party, needs better ventilation though. Also, the last show I went to they had portlable bathrooms outside and they were forcing the guys to use them. Woman could use the indoor bathroom but VIPs could also use the indoor bathroom. Thought that was weird and kinda gross since the portable toilets were in the smoking area.
This place would also be a lot cooler if there was a place to sit and watch the music, but they have this cool pillow area to chill.
I like the location, there’s almost always a FREE parking spot nearby and it’s in a cool industrial part of town.

Refuge is an interesting venue. I liked that there was many different spaces to hangout in while your waiting for your artist to go on.

Best venue in Portland. This is a visionary space!

Refuge is one of those places where you’ll find an authentic experience. It is at once urbane and gritty, kind of like what I imagine walking in to Banksy’s studio would be like — you’ll get the feeling that you’ve walked into the center of the factory that pumps out the most current and relevant sparks of creative inspiration.
Refuge is not the place to go to if you’re going «clubbing» Like others in the reviews you may not appreciate the porta potties or the warehouse aesthetic — but if those things are enough to keep you away then you’ll never appreciate or experience the pure magic of spontaneous creation that can happen at Refuge on any given night. This is a place to leave your expectations and your inhibitions at the door, and experience the bare bones potential of bringing people together to celebrate.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have been friends with the owner for many years — but there is a reason for that. Her vision for event production is a rare and beautiful one and I support her and this very special space she has created for people to dance, express themselves, and just have a great time.

This a great venue for larger scale events. I’ve always enjoyed my times there and feel that Refuge has a distinct Portland vibe that some may dismiss but I am quite fond of.

An event of the magnitude of the Portland Masquerade Ball, one would think that the organizers would arrange for a venue to suit the event… n’est-ce pas? Well these event organizers evidently did not think so. How unfortunate for us, the event attendees.
Quite frankly, this dire venue should be burned to the ground at once and off the radar of cheap-​ass event planners.
Why do I have such scathing hatred for this venue?
I’ll start with the lack of proper washroom facilities for attendees. Prior to the event, I emailed Colby H. of Just People Music. He is a contact for the event and he described the washrooms as a trailer with flush toilets. But in reality, they were essentially Honey Buckets sitting outside atop a flatbed trailer. Honey Buckets type stalls are appropriate for things like beer festivals in parks, but not for a huge throng of people that are dressed to the nines in elaborate and expensive masquerade ballroom attire.
The seating situation sucked as well; there was no seating indoors. Rather, there were heated tents set up outside away from the performances. Really? Why would you do that? Lame.
What else did I find to be sub-​par? The cash only bars, that’s what. Oh sure, there was an ATM that will fee gouge for cash. The cash only pain in the ass is something that I would not be bitching about if I had an indoor powder room circa 2011 and some indoor seating.
Dear Event Planners, for the Masquerade Ball next year, please do some actual planning and arrange for a venue with amenities that fit a sophisticated occasion.

Went for the first time to see Blackalicious last night. The sound was so bad that one of the opening acts had to quit in the middle of their set. Horrible feedback, worse-​than-​incompetent sound dude, and by the time Blackalicious came on, the sound had deteriorated to the point where the songs were unrecognizable. I’ve been waiting to see Blackalicious for seven years, and the sound was so bad that we walked out in the middle of their set. I’m so full of rage about this horrible venue that I created a Unilocal account just to voice my indignation. Stay away!

Nice venue, good mix of different gathering spaces.

I saw Trentemoller at the refuge in April 15 and I have to say I was impressed – definitely a better space and better venue than some of the other big clubs in Portland (I’m looking at you, Branx). There’s one large dance floor, plus gallery spaces off to the sides. There’s nothing fancy about the place – it’s pretty bare bones – and it’s clearly a space that crews come in and rent out, so I think it’s up to the event crew to determine whether or not the space is used to it’s fullest potential, whether the sound is right, whether the event staff is right, and so forth. Yep, you’ve gotta deal with Portapotties (I refuse to call them «honeybuckets»), BUT they were the cleanest and best smelling Portapotties I’ve ever been in, and they had about 8 of the them at the event, so there was no painful wait in line for the facilities (again, I’m looking at you Branx).
Promoters: This is a really great space, and if you’re bringing an electronic act to Portland, me and my friends would be even more persuaded to come to it if you held it at a space like Refuge.

Went here for the first time last night to see Chali2na.
Pros: Re-​entry
Lots of dance space
Clean Port-​O-​Potties
Cons: I had to go outside to pee
Staff
Acoustics
Upon entering with my boyfriend, the woman at the front took our $ and told us that Chali2na would be performing at 11pm. We arrived at 8:45pm. We got $ 3 pbr’s and explored the venue. Pretty open space, nice art in the entry room. Stretched ‘sheet like’ fabric inside the large performance area.
The bathroom situation: Basically, only VIPs get to use the bathroom inside the building. Everyone else has to go OUTSIDE to pee in the port-​o-​potties in the parking lot. This is really annoying. Its a very large venue, there should be another bathroom.
Having arrived too early, boyfriend and I finish our beers and do some bar hopping in the area. We had a great time and got back to Refuge at 11:10pm. Still no Chali2na. Go outside to smoke and chat with a random couple who is also nearing frustration that its 11:30 and he still hasn’t performed. For perspective, we were all working the next morning, and in our late 20s.
We decide to wait til midnight and then call it quits. Midnight arrives and I speak with the woman who took our $ and ask her if we could get our $ back since its too late for us and we’re tired and going home. (i know its a long shot, but worth a try, right?!) Initially, she seems surprised that he hasn’t performed yet and then proceeds to tell me that shows don’t usually start til 12 or 1 anyway. Riiiiiiight. We didn’t get our $ back.
I guess I’m getting older. Because for a Tuesday night, I just couldn’t wait around any longer. I had a fun night, but not because of Refuge. I love Chali2na and am sad that I missed him.