Julie M.
Yelp
You're most likely to find me here 6-8 on Fridays for silly music and luscious, acrid Stout. But years ago I had long red hair and was one of the black leather jacket people along Harley Row - grooving to either Rock and Roll, with acid rock sensibilities, or straight-out Blues...both which I still enjoy.
But these days If my hair gets any whiter, I might scare people, since this place is legendary for sightings of a woman Ghost. Yikes, what if someone tries to Exorcise me, when I'm just having a good time at the W.E? The GHOSTS presence has been most often reported to be felt upstairs...still a good place to flop, and less expensive than than other beds in the Kingdom. (I may have, um...LEFT A FEW MEMORIES UP THERE MYSELF.)
Perhaps the Best musical riff I heard at the White Eagle was a CD Release Party the year before Gary Small won the Native American Music Awards. His Santana-style guitar is perfectly articulated by Graham Lear who formerly played Drums with Santana. They fit like hand to glove. That CD is full of original songs that tell the Indian stories living in Gary's memory.
Even at the peak of his Oregon career, Rev Gary Small was both unpretentious and a class Act. Ain't the same without having his band on my musical menu.
Instead of Release Party Guests being required to pay a cover Charge for the prime time weekend gig, he offered each a gift to enjoy at their table and take home. I still have that Candle, with his CD Cover label.
It feels like good luck.
That concert was opened appropriately, by people whose ancestors hunted and fished these NW lands and waters. It was a personal thrill for me to see Gary conduct his business in this way. So respectful, so right. And such damn good music.
Thanks to the whole McMenamins family, for keeping the White Eagle tradition alive. I'll give ya 5 Stars if you'll add a good Breakfast and coffee to the White Eagle menu, so I can send more people to stay at your excellent little Hotel, upstairs. It's an uphill walk up to Gravy, on Mississippi proper, and I've done it numerous times in the afternoon, in hot sun or rain, and it's a good little workout. But let's face it, most dominant-culture Americans won't walk 5 blocks, even for a good Omelete, and I don't really like to send people places where they feel they must use cars. The air is that neighborhood is plenty nasty enough already.
The Yellow line MAX makes this easy as the place to meet for those attending Rose Quarter, Lloyd Center, downtown and Convention Center events...heck anywhere along the MAX line. The # 33 Fremont bus cruises thru here now too...and after Gateway it zooms on out to the Edgefield and Troutdale, making it a great way to do a Brewery Arts Tour. Yup, all Buses carry Bikes.