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Doin' It At Duff'sDuff's Garage is a Hoppin' Night Spot |
Let
me tell you, Duff's Garage was THE coolest after-hours spot
in Portland during the Waterfront Blues Festival. It was one of several
clubs that allowed for post-Festival extended Blues listening. I was able
to make it to the shows by Junior
Watson and band one night, and the Nick
Moss ensemble on another. The crowd was delighted those evenings
with even more guest appearances by Tommy
Castro, our own Curtis
Salgado, Paul
deLay and others. A number of musicians could also be found
in the audience, enjoying the good time and camaraderie. Duff's was
even listed in John
Foyston's Oregonian Blues Festival recap article as
"Best Off-Site Show."
Owner John Wallace has been playing Surf, Rockabilly, Pop and early Rock & Roll in club bands since 1979: first in Eugene, where John was born and raised, then in Germany for three years, LA for five, Spain for one year and now Portland. He described how he would travel somewhere and simply form a band; these could be places he desired to travel to, or he just happened to be accompanying a girlfriend at the time. This is a man I have seen at various clubs and Blues events over the past few years; I am impressed by his smoothness on the dance floor and his hip attire, especially footwear.
John landed in Portland in 1994. He owned Premium Guitars on 30th & East Burnside for five years and is well versed in vintage guitars and retro music equipment. John decided to get out of the business when he found vintage guitars and amps getting more scarce and expensive. As he puts it, "It was much more simple to have a beer delivery truck pull up out front with the product, than to search the countryside for vintage guitars in a market that was drying up." John does confess to not being totally aware of all the other effort involved with owning a club, which he discovered upon opening Duff's Garage (formerly McDuffs). In response to my inquiry about the name, John stated that the neon sign with the previous name was already in place, so it was frugal to go with "Duff's" — and, it's a garage.
John has fine assistance from his partner, Jennifer Krom. The two of them work together very well, managing to keep the patrons happy even on busy nights with a relaxed, efficient groove. John's family started out in the business in the 1960's with a Mexican restaurant, as his mom is Mexican and quite a good cook. John has experience dealing with crowds and has washed dishes and cooked at his mother's place. The tables have turned and his mom now helps out at his place, handling the lunch business. You might wish to check out some authentic Mexican cuisine some noontime. John and Jennifer take over in the afternoon.
Metal signs displayed throughout the space are actual automotive advertising signs. Many were donated by local automotive shops, and some go back as far as the '50s. There are also vintage gas pumps at the bar which were donated by Harley and Triumph dealerships. Decorated with the latest in "garage wear," it is a comfortable place. Several booths provide an intimate feel.
The focus is on the music and the musical focus is "definitely Retro Americana, guitar-oriented," John explains. There is a variety of Bluegrass, Rockabilly, Surf, '60s Garage Rock, Blues and Country and Western. John states that there is "no karaoke, no pool tables and no synthesizers."
Discover the weekly jam with Josh Fulero on Wednesday nights. Also on stage is a big stack of guys: John Lewis on drums and either Albert Reda or Alan Hunter on bass. Josh can certainly hold his own when also found performing with the very talented local drummer Jimi Bott, combined with the amazing Marco Salvo on guitar and harp stud Jim Wallace (John's brother). Look for them at Duff's once or twice each month.
The familiar face of Opie can be found working the door on busy evenings. John is not shy about sitting at the door himself on other evenings and asking for cover. I was most willing to pay the dollar "donation" on jam night to help out the musicians. I mean, that's why we're here, right? Right.
- Rose Allen