The Upstage Theater and Restaurant in Port Townsend is not a typical small-town nightclub, especially this weekend.
The club, located at 923 Washington St. in the corner of an alley, strives to bring big-city quality to the little-city stage.
The differences begin with the layout, which places the performer in the middle of the room, forcing interaction with the audience that a standard stage does not allow.
The intimacy, which can be challenging for performers and worthwhile for the audience, is often enhanced by the presence of some pretty famous folks.
Since opening the club in 2008, owner Mark Cole, 58, has presented performers such as Johnny Winter and Country Joe McDonald, both who performed in front of 500,000 people at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
Add to this several significant names in jazz, blues and rock; some on their way up and others who once appeared in front of far larger crowds (and some who still do).
This gives dedicated fans a treat, as anyone who saw Winter in a Woodstock-era amphitheater could never imagine a performance by the same artist in a 120-seat venue.
Close to audience
Artists like the Upstage, Cole said, because they are more connected to the audience because of the layout and more connected to the other musicians.
They also can perform material that is outside of what is expected, and are not forced to play rote versions of their greatest hits.
Cole said word about the club gets around, generated by musicians who enjoy playing there.
Several times, Cole has contacted well-known musicians who are aware of the club and are amenable to performing there.
Other times, he can pull in someone who is performing in Seattle and piggyback a night at the Upstage.
While the club presents a variety of styles, the holiday weekend features a one-two punch of shows featuring an impressive boomer pedigree.
On Friday, original Steppenwolf keyboardist Goldy McJohn celebrates his band’s legacy with his current outfit, Magic Carpet Ride.
On Saturday, George “Commander Cody” Frayne will lead his band through a charged set of boogie-based piano music.
Musical changes
“These are exciting shows for me,” Cole said.
“Steppenwolf, along with the Doors, used the keyboard sound in a way that changed music.”
“And Commander Cody was one of the driving forces that blended country and rockabilly into rock and roll.”
Cole’s Doors-Steppenwolf comparison has Upstage roots, as Doors’ keyboardist Ray Manzarek appeared at the club in January.
Cole is looking to present quality shows at a profit, but he is also a fan.
“Whenever someone comes in here I ask them a lot of questions about their songs,” he said.
“All of the famous performers I’ve met here have been really nice people,” he said.
“They may come off as controlling, but it’s only because they want to get the sound right.”
Cole has struck up some rewarding conversations with performers but they usually happen “after the show when they are more relaxed.”
Fewer venues
With the closure of Water Street Brewing and Ale House last week, the live music options in downtown Port Townsend are down one-third.
Sirens, at 823 Water St., has live music several nights a week and is staffing up to fill the gap left by Water Street’s closure.
The Upstage won’t necessarily attract the same crowd, as it is an all-ages venue that isn’t centered around drinking.
“We are open to people under 21 and that changes how people behave,” Cole said.
“If adults are going to misbehave, they don’t want to do it around youth.”
Both of this weekend’s shows begin at 8 p.m.
For tickets and information call 360-385-2216.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
