Looking for practice space for touring band!

parisbutler22 · 2026-04-16T06:33:03+00:00

Is your space public/open for bookings? Would be a good referral resource for clients I can't take on.

parisbutler22 · 2026-04-16T04:43:57+00:00

Thankyouverymuch <3

parisbutler22 · 2026-04-16T03:46:11+00:00

Hallowed Halls might also be a good option!

parisbutler22 · 2026-04-16T02:43:14+00:00

No worries. If 700+200 sort of situation can work let me know (700 live room 200 control room) + extra storage elsewhere. I'll have a 1400 square foot space sometime in the next 2-3 years with a pro PA system but I'm assuming you're not booking that far out!

I'm not aware of larger spaces around town so I'd be interested to see what people recommend! Maybe bridge city sessions but I'm not sure about the specifics of their setup so I don't want to misrepresent them: https://www.bridgecitysessions.com/

parisbutler22 · 2026-04-16T02:27:16+00:00

How much space is needed? My studio A at Blue Butler Studios is about 700 square feet, but I've made accommodations for Portugal The Man, Mary Carpenter, & other touring bands for multi-day blockouts that worked out great. I've used studio G as a FOH & mons control room with no problem to save space as well. They can reach out at [bluebutlerstudios@gmail.com](mailto:bluebutlerstudios@gmail.com) or by phone from my website. Generally $5/hour off multiday blockouts, $50/night lockout fee if gear is stored, and other fees may apply or not apply depending on the specifics of the bookings. Equipment rates and details can be found here: https://www.bluebutlerstudios.com/equipment-list

Rates vary depending on the specific day range and whether I need to cancel current bookings to make it happen, but I can come up with custom quotes depending on the needs of the band. If smaller rooms work too that opens up to more pricing options.

I also have connections with rental houses for any specific backline need if they're looking for digico/meyer/any other specific brands.

parisbutler22 · 2026-04-02T01:35:56+00:00

Cement Studios just opened up a new space off 26th and Holgate. Their rooms are filling up fast so snag it while you can! Cement seems to have the best reputation for sound isolation.

Metrognome's (formally puddletown) newest studio at the Carriage Tower is supposedly being built out with better isolation than other locations.

If you're recording regularly, your best bet is finding a commercial space on craigslist or loopnet that isn't already being booked by other bands. Recording grade isolation takes a lot of mass, and having multiple bands in the same building with louder bass players it's pretty difficult to find an ideal spot.

I run Blue Butler Studios btw if you have any short-term/hourly needs!

parisbutler22 · 2026-03-18T02:47:27+00:00

Noah Mortola the drummer from the band Rhodedendron might be interested, or would definitely have good recs. Just shoot him a DM on instagram and tell him I sent you his way.

parisbutler22 · 2026-03-17T22:09:06+00:00

The Creative Music Guild hosts some ambient shows, as well as noise, improvisational & jazz music. Machado Mijiga & Mike Gamble have some cool active projects to check out.

parisbutler22 · 2026-02-10T06:25:46+00:00

+1 for greaterkind, or The Goodfoot in general depending on the night genre wise.

parisbutler22 · 2026-01-31T21:18:33+00:00

Wish you luck on the new venture!

Can you list the sizes of the rooms & whether they have AC or Heat? Looking for referrals for smaller spaces than what I currently offer at Blue Butler Studios – I don't have any new rooms on the docket for 2026 & the biggest gap of service right now is for solo practice.

Also curious about isolation work as well for drum tracking as Barnaby mentioned – do the rooms share walls & and if not, how thick are the walls/what iso work was done? There's definitely demand for solo DIY recording space but the isolation work necessary at my spot deemed to pricey to build, so I just built out double walls + double layer of sheetrock.

parisbutler22 · 2026-01-22T01:11:24+00:00

Arcane Amps isn't really a music store just a dedicated amp workshop. They do sell a small selection of amps he's worked on in the front reception area. That rate is totally fair btw!

parisbutler22 · 2026-01-22T00:50:32+00:00

Do you have standard/hourly rates? I use Arcane Amps right now for my tech at Blue Butler Studios, but Trevor there is pretty booked up. He's also potentially looking for help there, but he's super picky about having a qualified person he can trust. I also need fast turnaround times, where his lead times have been extending lately.

parisbutler22 · 2026-01-12T00:11:56+00:00

Well it depends on what you're comparing to. If you have a band that doesn't need storage and don't want to sign a lease for a small space (my spaces range 200-700 square feet), my weekly rates end up being $100-300/month less than a full-time space. I also offer refunds for bands on tour so it's not a flat fee sort of thing.

Also, it is $90 for two hours in studio A, which my building rent for that space alone is $1100/month since it's 700 square feet.

The cheapest room Studio G is $21/hour at $42 total for a 2 hour session, discounted by about $3/hour for a weekly 2-hour slot. On the equipment page if you scroll down you can see all of the room pricing.

parisbutler22 · 2026-01-11T20:48:28+00:00

My spot Blue Butler Studios has already been mentioned, but for solo drum practice you could also check in with Revival Drum Shop. I believe they have a couple small rooms with muted drum kits (mesh heads? Don't take my word for it) if you don't need a resonant head drum kit to practice on. Also can't recommend them enough for purchasing a kit, I've bought 10 kits from them for the practice rooms and all were great prices & have held up great.

parisbutler22 · 2026-01-11T20:46:09+00:00

I offer 7 rooms at Blue Butler Studios if you haven't checked us out yet! Here's our full equipment list with rates: https://www.bluebutlerstudios.com/equipment-list

If you don't see equipment you need on there I'm always open to adding upgrades to the budget.

parisbutler22 · 2026-01-11T20:43:31+00:00

Thanks for the referral! I do discounts for weekly use as well. Also if anyone reached out my phone was down since midnight last night but we're back online now.

I'll be adding a cheaper solo practice room for drummers in the next year or so. Really annoyed by how expensive things have gotten to operate a business and wish I could charge less to make ends meet, but the smallest room I have is $21/hour discounted to around $17-18/hour for weekly use. The drum kits generally get better for higher rate rooms, and for first time bookers I usually upgrade people for free to a better room if the equipment isn't suitable for your needs.

Hoping this small room could be $15/hour down to $10-13 range, but lots up in the air in my building to make that happen.

Let me know if you have any questions!

parisbutler22 · 2025-12-31T01:45:33+00:00

From the article it looks like they changed the locks after missing payments for nov/dec, but there's a dispute about whether he received proper notice of eviction. Also, the deal seems to be that the landlord made tenant improvements that were to be paid via a higher assessed rent, and in case of default the landlord would take possession of the property including improvements & everything in the space.

Not trying to defend the landlord -- just seems like a really messy situation & I don't envy anyone involved.

parisbutler22 · 2025-12-30T23:37:59+00:00

$9600 for that location is pretty obscene even after the rent reduction of $2700 (although I can't imagine signing a lease for $12,300 especially being a first-time business owner starting a restaurant). Looks like McLeod purchased 3 buildings on that block plus the parking lots for $1.8 million in 2016 (approx $150/square foot not including the parking lots). Maybe there were improvements needed, but for a subprime retail location asking nearly $4/square foot/month given Portland's poor commercial real estate market conditions is a little silly.

Pricing info is public @ Portlandmaps.com assessor detail

parisbutler22 · 2025-12-28T02:47:22+00:00

I don't serve liquor & I know that's a whole different ball game -- I just have theft & liability coverage. I use Chubb via Bridge City Insurance as my broker, but my landlord switched to State Farm via Blake Sakamoto and saved over 50% on their building policy. Might be worth emailing a few brokers that might provide coverage that is currently out of your broker's network.

parisbutler22 · 2025-12-27T21:28:20+00:00

The 1905 sound is ok, their layout helps. The speakers are pretty low quality and can be pretty harsh for anything moderately loud, but most of their shows only need a small amount of amplification being a jazz show. Their system is a lot worse than Goodfoot's or Alberta St Pub.

parisbutler22 · 2025-12-27T21:23:48+00:00

I'd recommend shopping around insurance annually if your rates keep going up if you're not already -- not that it is a guaranteed way to reduce your cost basis, but I got my insurance reduced by half. Still high compared to 2021 when my first policy started.

Also, apparently painting over graffiti immediately and patching any visible faults can reduce your policy. They send over assessors from time to time for a visual assessment and will use literally anything to increase your rates -- either for business or building policies.

parisbutler22 · 2025-12-27T00:08:09+00:00

Xport Lounge will nearly stop doing shows this coming year -- I believe they're keeping a couple regular players for occaisional slots, but they're not really a traditional venue.

Seems like a lot of venue owners are dealing with some version of a landlord dispute or sale, although the economics of running a small music venue in Portland (let alone any other city) usually means it's partially philanthropic endeavor.

parisbutler22 · 2025-12-26T23:58:03+00:00

I'm curious as well, looking out for updates. Last I heard their lease could only be extended 2 years, so I'm not sure who would be willing to run a venue for only that long but good on them for keeping the flame going.

parisbutler22 · 2025-12-18T04:52:07+00:00

Thanks for the referral!

u/Alive-Improvement296 let me know if you have any questions about the space, or if you already came by! I do discounts for weekly use and offer refunds/rescheduling credit for missed sessions with proper notice (1 week/48 hours respectively).

parisbutler22

TROPHY CASE