All-ages concert venue The Off Beat, located in Portland's Kenton neighborhood, pictured here on Thursday, March 12, 2026. Portland nonprofit Friends of Noise opened the venue in fall 2025 and held a grand-opening show headlined by Team Dresch in February 2026.
Gemma DiCarlo / OPB
Many concert venues rely on alcohol sales for revenue, meaning people under age 21 are often left out of shows. Not so at The Off Beat. Portland nonprofit Friends of Noise opened the venue in the Kenton neighborhood last fall and held a grand-opening show headlined by Team Dresch last month.
André Middleton is the executive director of Friends of Noise. Clara Kornelis is a musician and a booker for The Off Beat. They join us to talk about the importance of creating an all-ages space for young performers and live music fans.
Note: OPB engineer Nalin Silva is the booking, venue and production manager at The Off Beat.
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