Mississippi Studios

One of my favorite music venues in Portland- with a wonderful bar attached. Artists always sound their best here. The staff is stellar from the front door to the back of house. The sound crew is top notch and they always ensure there is a great sounding set that evening. The talent that this venue showcases is always incredible. If there is a band you like and they are playing this spot- don't miss it! I highly recommend this place to be your next stop when considering seeing live music!

One of my favorite venues in town. Sound is fantastic, the staff is great, connected to Bar Bar...it's kind of awesome.

We've enjoyed many great bands here. Intimate music venue - mostly GA standing room only.

The place was nice. They had a pretty outdoor area and the also had a second place on top. The food was really good something about the skinny fries was amazing. The girl at the bar tho idk felt like she didn't really wanna be there but the person who drop off the food they were Hella cool even gave us their favorite sauce she said it was secret but told us what it was anyways which I thought was funny

Great venue! Sold out show and it was so fun! No drama...just pure fun! I have a broken foot so I got there early to secure a seat in balcony... Nice they have this option...wishing I could've been down on the floor with their biggest fans! Such energy and FUN! Perfect size to see a concert...loved it!!

Best part of our trip to Portland. Saw a great lineup of bands, affordable price ($9), great dance floor, nice balcony to sit if you want. Crowd was cool. Music was well mixed. Light show was interesting. Feels like a tried and true music spot in the city- so would check out

Awesome burgers, great sound, small venue but loads of room and all the staff are chill and friendly and good drink prices Smoking patio as well (clutch) All the fans as well, very big chillers

Ah, Mississippi Studios — Portland’s premier venue for live music, overpriced drinks, and astonishingly gifted bouncers who possess the supernatural ability to detect imaginary drunkenness. I, a person of color, had the absolute pleasure of being denied entry to a show on Saturday, March 29th — a show I paid for, by the way — because, according to the gatekeeper of the night, I “stumbled.” Huh? Did I black out mid-sentence while completely sober? That’s news to me, because I hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol all day. Nada. Zilch. But thank you, Mississippi Studios, for letting me know I apparently need to work on my walking. This all happened in front of my girlfriend, who I was attending the show with. Romantic evening, right? Wrong. It turns out gently nudging your girlfriend’s shoulder in a playful way is code for “inebriated mess” in the Mississippi Studios universe. Perhaps they run a secret bootcamp where staff are trained to spot people having a good time and immediately deny them access. When I politely explained that I hadn’t drunk anything, was completely sober, and even offered to take a breathalyzer on the spot (you know, like someone who’s not drunk might do), the bouncer looked me dead in the eye and said… “Have a good evening.” And that’s it. No accountability. No clarification. Just an ego trip and a wasted night. I guess “Portland nice” now includes gaslighting patrons and treating sobriety as suspicious behavior. But hey — if you’re looking for a venue where imaginary stumbles are treated like federal offenses, Mississippi Studios is your spot. Who needs fairness or logic when you can be arbitrarily judged by a bored doorman with a God complex? Thanks for absolutely nothing, Mississippi Studios. I hope your bouncers are at least awarded honorary PhDs in Assumption and Discrimination.

Easily one of the top venues to catch a show I've ever experienced. I saw Jerry Paper and couldn't be more impressed with the Acoustics and vibe. Upstairs offers seating, but downstairs is where you want to be. Highway recommend finding a spot on the carpet and get ready for some great music. If your favorite artist is performing in Portland at Mississippi Studio - GO! Thank me later.

Another one bites the dust...... We are long-time patrons of BarBar. Still recommend the food although the quality there is slipping too. Order drinks - first was WEAK AF. My husband mentions this as he orders another round; asked them to put a "little extra" in my next drink. It was also practically water. Don't waste your time here anymore.

Always a solid music venue choice! If you're favorite artist is playing at Mississippi Studios make it a point to not miss! The tickets are reasonably priced and you get a great intimate viewing performance. I love the coziness of this venue and everything that goes along with it. I've been here to see various artists throughout the years and have always enjoyed myself. So glad to see this place is sustaining and keeping the music world alive!

The staff ruined my experience. Again. Haven't been back to Bar Bar since the last time but had tickets for a show at Mississippi Studios. Been coming here forever and the new gen of staff at this place is sub par compared to years past. Was there like a mass exodus or something? Missing those pre-pandemic days...

It's been several years since I've been here and I was happy to have mocktails and a bite to eat before a show. Nice to have something stick around so many of my old spots are gone now.

Fun neighborhood pub. Wish I was hungry the food looked excellent. Anyways they sell a dunkle and fun varieties of beer. The servers didn't look overly enthused for anyone being there on Thanksgiving evening. But that's a restaurant business is. So even if you're staying downtown we took an Uber well worth your time for the little different scene to have some drinks and a different vibe.

We came here early for a music event, sat in front of the windows, having a drink and waiting to go into the music venue. There were dirty dishes from the previous customers who had left over an hour ago. There were four bar tenders who were just standing around and talking. I never saw any of them leave the bar to tend to tables or take dirty dishes. I feel this is a customer service issue. You don't want new customers sitting in a place where dirty dishes haven't been cleared. I finally asked one of the bar tenders to pick up the dirty dishes.

Here for the Ben Chapman show, great venue but really small. Balcony is almost over the stage. Very intimate & sweet sound. Known for their food which is delicious. Try the Not Tots.

This was my first time in Portland, and my main purpose for the visit was to see a concert here! The venue is a decent size, and everyone was super friendly and respectful. The bar had lots of fun options, and the prices are super reasonable given it's a music venue. Would definitely go back!

Their burger was pretty dry, maybe not enough fat, they claim they use painted hills grass fed beef which would be more healthy?, and I thought tasty. The shoestring fries were good and the coke. It is a nice outdoor place with a big screen tv. If it isn't raining you could sit in an uncovered better ventilated area. I was there for a show , only one wearing a mask. Nice small place with top artist Judith Hill. Only one person had a beer I could see on 2nd floor. Haven't been here in years. Patio was pretty full when I left. If I go again might try to eat nearby after getting a seat (leave coat on it).

went here to see Jazz is dead 1. they oversold concert it was like being in a can of sardines. 2. the sound quality was horrible I will never return to this venue

I don't usually write reviews online, but I honestly cannot say enough wonderful things about the Mississippi Studios venue and Bar Bar staff! About ten of us friends came out to have dinner and drinks on the back patio before seeing The RT's band. Even though it was a blistering day, we had delightfully refreshing tables together and EVERYONE enjoyed their food! Great variety of choices and the staff was so fun and welcoming! Because there is limited seating upstairs for the show, we were right there when the doors opened. Again, staff were SO kind to help make sure that we were able to all get fantastic seats. The seats are also comfortable and not crammed together. This was the second time we've seen The RT's at Mississippi Studios when they've been touring from NY and both times the venue and the show was absolutely MAGICAL! Mississippi Studios is advertised as a musician's music venue. In talking to The RT's, they all felt SO well taken care of and loved the comfort of the "green room!" THANK you SO much for all you did for us, for the band(s), and for all you do for all music lovers! You ARE a Portland treasure!

Tonight for whatever reason we were targeted for low service. We came in, ordered burgers that took a bit long, asked about the status of them, and then were banned from getting any drinks after asking how long they were taking when we waited 30 My friend was banned from ordering drinks but I went after him and successfully ordered drinks (even though I had drank more but hadn't complained) and i had drank more and was more drunk than him. I will never come Here for a show again and will advise others about the prejudiced behavior that occurs here. We paid for the actual concert that was happening there and were pushed our because we asked about the service. Never come here for a show if you plan to ask them about their service.

I attended the Khemmis/Conjurer/Wake show on 5/20/23. It was my first concert since having a major heart operation in March. I didn't think of it beforehand, but the morning of the show I emailed the venue, explained my situation and told them I was feeling a little nervous since it was a general admission show. I asked if it was possible if I could get a reserved seat. They emailed me back right away and said it wouldn't be a problem. I can't say enough about how helpful the entire staff was.

This is my favorite music venue in Portland. Stage and sound is excellent! Upstairs seating area is nice with staggered rows so you have a great view. Staff is always nice. I will be looking forward to more events here.

Stay away from this place. They pick and choose who can enter. If you are older, they find a reason to deny you in the bar. Go to Uchu where they treat everyone equal.

The cozy, fun, casually unique, and worth it scene I may have mistakenly implied for my Bar Bar review, actually belongs to the Mississippi Studios concert area side of the building. No, I didn't confuse the two spots, I'm just trying to salvage the Bar Bar experience. The bartenders on either side are really hit or miss friendly, helpful, or bothering to try to do a good job, even just on pours and any eye contact, simple thanks, smile, or nod. I'm talking about long before it's mobbed with over full capacity. The ticket and front door people were quite nice, surprisingly so, in comparison. Without doubt, the Bar Bar experience has tainted and soured my full enjoyment of the concert. The workers at Bar Bar especially act like they're in limbo or worse; it must be hell in that claustrophobic space dealing with those crowds.

I go to a lot of live shows in Portland and I love country music. Mississippi Studios is one of the few places in town that regularly books indie country and roots music and I really appreciate that. It's why Im sad it's not a better venue than it is. I've been to the venue more than a few times in pursuit of country/roots music. I've never been to a show there that didn't feel overly cramped and too tight for the number of attendees. Last night seeing one of my favorite artists, Jesse Daniel, was no exception. The space was too crowded and feels very narrow. One bartender was serving the whole venue both times I went to seek out a drink. Jesse Daniel is such a high energy live artist and it was hard to cut a rug without much room. To boot, my friend was physically assaulted by another concert attendee for the audacity of being a tall female at a show. It's not the first time it's happened there. No one would ever do that to a tall man standing in front of them. Overall bad vibes, crowded space, and understaffed bar. If I weren't starving for live indie country acts, I would stop going to shows at this venue. Jesse was way better at their sister venue Polaris Hall last year. Mississippi Studios should focus on more intimate experiences and put bigger acts in their sister venues.

I've been looking to visit this place for a very long time. Finally had the opportunity and it overpassed all my expectations. The vibe is amazing and music is everything. Heart of the local scene

Nice space to hang out and drink. Limited food menu, what they do they do ok. I'm a little bothered by these places that don't have servers taking your order and they ask you to bus your own table, and yet their tip amount defaults on their square space site to 20%? Scam. An insult to the concept of table service / tips.

Buyer beware! You cannot call to talk to anyone about concert/event tickets. They changed COVID rules "after" I purchased my tickets. Requiring full vaccination or negative PCR test. Proven to be incorrect most of the time. The only form of contact is the Managers "Voice Mail" and they do not return your phone call. They do not offer refunds AT ALL. Even though "they" changed the entrance rules. NEVER will I purchase any tickets here again. Very unprofessional, not to even communicate with your supporting clientele.

Seriously an awesome place to see a concert. Very small venue tat has some great acts. They have a bar attached to the venue that you can hang out in before the show. I have never heard anybody say anything bad about this venue. The sound was very good. I would definitely want to see another act at Mississippi Studios.

This is the best place to check out local music!! Such a beautiful set up, the outdoor area is AMAZING, and the sound is great! It seems like they would charge more because it's such a nice facility, but the prices there are great!! $8 for an amazing hot toddy with Jameson. I've heard great things about the owner, although I've never met him. Food is decent, but I've only eaten there once and it was for burger week. The staff here is what takes the cake! Such friendly and chill staff, yet they are alert and they run a tight ship. Not that they're overly strict or anything, but things never get out of control and the people that need to be alert are always on top of everything. I've been going here for at least 8 years and will continue to be a happy patron here! Keep up the good work!!

Cool and intimate venue with live music and shows. There's extra seating upstairs too and a nice view from the balcony. There's sometimes a cover but It's always free to get into Bar Bar next door and there's an outside patio with a cozy fireplace. I've never eaten here but there's local beers and ciders on tap like all places in Portland.

Constantly have the best bands in town in one of the most ... just perfect Venus great sound, threat music, and being connected to Bar Bar... there is nothing to complain about. The hamburger is amazing and the spicy marg or Rainier are always good bets. If you want to experience Portland than hey tickets and come here. You will mind an amazing venue and bar and street

I saw Corinne Bailey Rae at Mississippi Studios the other night, and I enjoyed the venue so much! You get an intimate vibe here at MS. My friends and I sat at the back of the balcony area. I thought we still had a great view of the stage, although I prefer to be in the standing area. The sound was awesome, and you can definitely notice it on my short snippet of one of her songs. I also appreciate that there is a bathroom upstairs so you don't have to keep going down and up the stairs during the set. I will have to keep my eye out for MS's upcoming shows so I have another excuse to visit the venue and this neighborhood.

Great COVID burger. They've done a really nice job with the outdoor patio, keeping separation and with separately controlled commercial heaters above the tables. You can order and pay for your food and drinks on their app. Classic $8 burger you can customize. Good solid patty perfectly cooked with sauce and cheese at the right temperature. Beer selection is good and delivered cold. Great vibe and solid value.

Enjoying a couple of bands tonight with beers and burgers also. Great intimate music venue and yummy burgers just the perfect size.

Multiple staff members were incredibly rude, and when requested for assistance made customers feel as though they were a bother. The food was terrible (except for the fries), and overly priced. Having been there in the past I was very disappointed with this experience. I will not be returning.

review entirely about the cheeseburger because it fucking warrants it my favorite burger in town. not necessarily the "best" burger ever, but for fucks sake this is the best execution of a simple bar burger anyone could ask for. squishy fresh local potato bun toasted well, locally sourced beef patty always with a fine maillaird reaction and cooked beautifully, house made sauce and ketchup that just ties it together. melty cheese, lettuce, and it's a god damned masterpiece of simple, cheap honest food executed in the absolute best way possible. If you want a tall, chefy overstacked burger go elsewhere, but if you want the best fucking classic bar burger of your life, this is where it's at. I would stick my dick in this burger if I could keep it out of my mouth long enough. (the burger, to be clear)

This place is gorgeous. I've never seen a bad show here. I'm rating mostly on that. If I were to rate on the other things (this place has a lot going on), here is how it would go: 2 Stars - Drinks - Watery, expensive, and made by snotty bartenders that don't actually listen to what you ordered and get huffy when they have to make you what you actually asked for. I get it, it's loud, but learn to read lips, sister...you work at a noisy music venue. Anyone who says the service is good here, is drunk. 4 Stars - The Porch at Bar Bar - I would give it five, but the other guests are always kind of rude to smokers out there, although I'm grateful there's still room for us heathens 4 Stars - The Sound - I'm not sure if it's the acoustics or the sound guy, but something occasionally sounds super off for at least a few solid minutes a show. Either too loud or too reverby, but acceptable the rest of the time. 5 Stars - The Venue - BEAUTIFUL. I couldn't have done it better myself. Awesome location. Can't wait to go back to see more musica! 5 Stars - The Music - They get amazing acts in here, and it's always a good time. I've never left feeling disappointed except about the drink I had, but that's clearly not the point of going here, unless you're a lame-o. No Score - Music Studio - Does it actually exist?! How do I get to it? Who records there? Don't make me Google this...

Here tonight to see Rumer (artist) she was amazing and I just love this place. The stage lighting is great and the sound system is very nice. The vocals are clear and are not washed out. Upstairs seating has a restroom. Rock on !

Went here a few weeks back for the Jeff Crosby show. The opening band was pretty good, Jeff and the Refugees were great, the bartenders were attentive, the ambiance was pleasant, and the atmosphere was clean and welcoming. Really, there's only one reason I can't give this place a 5/5, and that is because, it is TOO DAMN LOUD! The speakers in there are turned up WAY too high for such a small venue. It would have been unbearable except they provide complimentary earplugs. Security and all that is pro, too. Really good place. Just too damn loud.

Such a cool place. They have a really small menu but I had their burger combo meal for $10 you t a burger, fries, and a beer! The burger was so cool and a decent size. The place looks small but has a HUGE outside area along with a big bar. Super impressed and highly recommend! There's even a few tvs to watch games on.

This is a solid music venue. I came here for a show and the acoustics were good. I did a mix of watching from the floor right up front and upstairs from the balcony. It's large enough to not feel too small, yet small enough to not feel too big so a good view can be had from virtually anywhere. It has a low-key relaxed feel and fits in well with Mississippi Ave. Bar Bar next door is a good stop for a drink before or after a show too. I would come here again. P.S. One of the bartenders here had a bit of an attitude. Maybe he was having a bad day so I'm guessing it's probably not the norm.

I really, really like Mississippi Studios as a music venue: I've seen some of my favorite artists there, and even a free show or two (thanks to 94.7 KNRK). I also stepped inside for some cocktails and a/c during the Mississippi Street Fair and watched some of the funnest Karaoke I've ever seen! Drinks are reasonably priced and you can even transfer between Bar Bar next door (well, it's sort of next door, they are attached inside) without opening a new tab (I think that's a new feature -- I don't remember being offered that before) which is really nice! You can't bring your glass over from the bar to the music venue side, but they offered plastic cups upon entry to I didn't have to down or trash my drink. I really appreciated that! There is some seating for concert goers upstairs, but not much. So if you want to sit, I suggest getting there early. It's a pretty small venue, which is one of the things I really like about it. You can get up close to your favorite bands, or sit (or stand) upstairs and still be really close by.

I'm a huge fan of the smaller venues...... this place is off the hook! We saw The Steelwells and Foster the People! Great show! The acoustics sounded great in here, the place was packed, just enough to bump elbows as someone is passing but not so full you can't breathe! The bar service was a bit slow, they could have had more bartenders on the concert side working the bar, waiting 15 mins or so for a beer was kinda annoying. I liked the layout, the balcony that wraps above and the cozy lighting all around....I will come back here for another show for sure!

By far my favorite venue to see a band. A smaller venue for a more intimate experience for a show. They have a good selection of brews on tap. delicious burgers.

This is one of my favorite music venues in Portland. There are small, intimate venues popping up all over, but Mississippi Studios gets it right, having just enough room to fill a lively enough audience without it getting overcrowded and rowdy. You've also got options for what type of concert experience you want--farther back and up in the balcony where you can sit, or closer up on the floor. Open bar has reasonable prices, real food is available at the adjacent barbar. Sounds like some other reviewers have had bad interactions with staff or bouncers. I'm sure the quality and mood of venue staff vary by the week, but the hubby and I have been lucky in having encountered nice employees without the power trip attitude. Great laid back vibe, intimate setting, good beer. Love this place!

Something is wrong here. Just saw a show at Mississippi Studios on July 29, 2015. Both performances were great, well, the one and a half performances we were allowed to see. Thanks to Portland's own Ancient Heat and Australia's Sticky Fingers for going all out to make sure that all of us in the audience had a great time, well, until management turned the lights on and shut the show down early without warning or explanation. A complete insult to the artists and those of us in the audience. No apologies, no announcement, nothing. Just "Get out, show is over." Everyone was rudely ushered out. People were dumbfounded. The band was furious and the audience was confused. I heard a mix of "wait, that's it?", "What happened?". This was met with aggressive language and threats from the management crew amounting to "Get the **** out or else." Clearly once you've purchased your ticket Mississippi Studios couldn't care less about the customers or the performers. Can't believe an establishment could be so all around rude and disrespectful. You won't see me there again.

A great spot to see a show, acoustics in the room are great, there's good upstairs area with several movie theater style seats to watch if you don't feel like standing and a huge yard to the side for in between bands. Also there is a lot of food options both at the venue (through the little window you can access on the side yard) or within the neighborhood (there is a good but expensive vegetarian grill across the street i usually end up going to.)

Great venue! Small, friendly, clean, great two-sided bar, and fun artists that come through.

I had three separate recommendations of this place so new I had to check it out. The music venue is separate from the main bar area but still a very intimate atmosphere for a show. The two bands, more folk rock, were very talented. Be prepared to have cash as the venue only accepts cash for entry. This is definitely must see Portland spot.

Great venue! Stand or have a seat upstairs. Sound is very good, bartenders are pleasent. We hope to see more shows here.

Very fun and cool place to see a show. Venue is pretty small so you really get to see the performers up close, and often meet them as well. My only gripe was the sound system was clearly overloaded by one of the artists we saw, resulting in tubby bass and an unbalanced sound sometimes. Not sure that's actually the venue's fault though. My wife and I will definitely be returning soon. :)

We went here on our first date and honestly this bar has it all. They have multiple fire pits, great drink specials, food, live bands and even movies at times. The outdoor space is fairly large and can fit many people. If you're on Mississippi you'd be missing out if you didn't give this place a try.

Excellent venue and very nice, accommodating staff!

Great place for a show. I love how dark it gets when they turn down the lights. You can see the band so clearly. The staff was very friendly.

The ID checker out front was vehemently rude for no reason to my sober and well-dressed friends last Friday night. He declined to let us in the second we walked up when we had shown no inappropriate or rowdy behavior. After his rudeness, while we stood outside and waited for our ride, he decided to butt into our conversation and harass me when we were not talking about him, the club, anything that involved him or even anything negative. It was the smallest and saddest abuse of power I have ever seen. Incredibly tasteless behavior and the reason none of us will be returning.

Mississippi Studios is one of those places you really want to like, run by musicians, for musicians and all that. Apparently nobody's a sound man. I went to see Tango Alpha Tango and Trigger Hippy, both good bands, but the sound was excruciatingly bad for T.A.T., and just far too loud and overdriven for Trigger Hippy. Honestly, worst sound I've experienced in a dedicated music venue for the ten years I've been here. I got there 45 minutes before the door opened, and then waited an hour for the music to start, didn't try the food because there wasn't any where to sit near the entrance to the venue. I hate to be "that guy" with the two star review, but it's no more "intimate" than 250 people standing on a platform waiting for a train. The two huge speaker cabinets at the sides of the stage hid the drummer from T.A.T. for the whole opening set, and the 2nd guitarist from Trigger Hippy for most of their first set. The large, single speaker hanging in the balcony just added to the imbalance. An earlier reviewer said they liked their music loud, I like mine balanced, then loud is O.K. Different strokes, and all that.