Cody Tracey by Cody Tracey A band called Ad Nauseam is dead set on keeping grunge alive in Portland, but no local venue will return their calls to play a show.  Like the most iconic grunge acts, Ad Nauseam has deep PNW roots. They deliver sludgy, whining guitar licks and haunting, sandpapery vocals. They’ve even got an angsty tune called “Scab Pimple” for goodness sake.  So why can’t they land a gig?  Well, it might be because all four band members are between the ages of 10 and 16.  “We would contact venues around the city because we wanted to just play a show,” the band told the Mercury. “Nobody ever responded and we didn’t know what to do. Many venues that say they are all-ages still doubt the maturity and ability of young musicians.”  It wasn’t until Ad Nauseam competed in a 2025 Battle of the Bands hosted by nonprofit Friends of Noise that they discovered an inclusive, all-ages music scene willing to take them seriously. Through Friends of Noise—a youth-driven organization that teaches young people the ins and outs of the music industry through all-ages concerts and educational programming—Ad Nauseum now finds themselves on a four-band bill at the upcoming grand opening of The Off Beat, Portland’s newest all-ages venue.  The show takes place Friday, February 13 alongside intergalactic duo Brown Calculus, distorted shoegazers Spiderling, and queercore legends Team Dresch.   The Off Beat is a 400-capacity concert venue in Portland’s Kenton neighborhood. It’s an alcohol-free space for people of all ages to experience music and art in community. Such a venue has been the aspiration for Friends of Noise since its founding in 2016—it’s been a long road to make the space a reality, especially for the non-profit’s executive director and founder, André Middleton.  “Since we didn’t have a dedicated space, I built a network of venues across town,” he says. “For close to four or five years, we did shows wherever and whenever we could, but it was rarely the same place twice.” In 2021, the organization began saving money in hopes of eventually moving into a permanent venue.  Until recently, Friends of Noise operated out of rental offices within Oregon Contemporary, a gallery space in Kenton located just across the street from the long-defunct Dancin’ Bare strip club. When Middleton saw a "for lease" sign on Dancin’ Bare’s marquee, he called the building’s owner and began negotiating a lease to transform the space into what would become The Off Beat.  In 2024, Friends of Noise began a tenancy contingent upon major remodel. “The Dancin’ Bare had been closed and empty for years,” Middleton said, “so it needed a lot of TLC for it to be a place where it could host all-ages shows.”  Over the following year, the nonprofit raised approximately $850,000 to fund renovations. Upgrades include new lighting and windows, fully accessible entryways, refurbished bathrooms, and a multitrack recording booth designed to archive The Off Beat's concerts as cassettes and CDs. Middleton hopes that the venue space will broaden Friends of Noise’s programming from strictly live music to include theater productions, youth dances, and art installations. There’s no kitchen at The Off Beat, but you can grab food at nearby Mayfly and Kenton Club.  André Middleton and crew in front of The Off Beat's new stage. NALIN SILVA In addition to hosting shows, Friends of Noise is also building a reputation as a live events service organization. Their cohort of young sound engineers—known as the Sound Squad Supreme—runs professional sound at The Off Beat, as well as at galas, fundraisers, and block parties across the city. Through this work, Friends of Noise creates a direct pipeline from educational programming to real-world jobs in the music industry.   Related: Read our coverage of the fight to save PCC's Music and Sonic Arts program.  “One thing that The Off Beat provides [for young people] is a bridge from DIY shows into what the music industry is like,” said Nalin Silva, The Off Beat’s venue and production manager. An audio engineer for Oregon Public Broadcasting and head of audio for Mississippi Studios and Polaris Hall, Silva notes that DIY, all-ages scenes can’t reliably develop within age-restricted concert venues. “Part of the beauty of a DIY scene is that it’s very inclusive,” he adds, “and that [inclusivity] can help change the industry.”  Inclusivity sits at the center of The Off Beat’s mission. The venue explicitly prioritizes space for BIPOC and LGBTQIA2+ youth to express themselves freely, while working to remove financial barriers through the NOTAFLOF principle at the venue door: No One Turned Away For Lack Of Funds.  “Young people need an IRL safe space where they can come together and dream,” Middleton said. “Young people of all backgrounds and economic standings need places where they can be themselves. They need third spaces that are not home and not school. We hope The Off Beat will be such a place.”  Ad Nauseam will share the stage on Friday with Brown Calculus, a cosmic-soul duo whose sonic universe delivers uplifting messages of radical self-love transmitted through dreamy beats and smooth vocals. The duo opened for jazz legend Kamasi Washington at Crystal Ballroom back in 2024. Also joining the celebration is the noisy shoegaze outfit Spiderling, who will most certainly supply the evening’s share of headbanging, as they did in September at PDX Pop Now!  The biggest name on The Off Beat’s grand opening bill is queercore punk royalty Team Dresch. With roots in all-ages, queer-centered spaces, Team Dresch got its start in 1990s Olympia playing all-ages venues similar to The Off Beat.  “When we started this queer band, we only played shows that were all-ages or advertised as queer,” Team Dresch wrote to the Mercury. “We don’t grow without all ages clubs and all ages clubs don’t last without community supported nonprofits that own the building!”  Back in January 2025, Team Dresch sold out Revolution Hall for their 30-year anniversary tour. Now they’re ready to play The Off Beat Friday, February 13 to celebrate the opening of the city’s newest all-ages music venue.  “Let’s do what we can to make The Off Beat awesome for the kids,” Team Dresch wrote. “They fucking deserve it!”  Young bands like Ad Nauseam are listening closely. And they are ready to rip.  The Off Beat celebrates its grand opening Friday, February 13. Playing the show are Team Dresch, Brown Calculus, Spiderling, and Adnauseam. Tickets and more info here.  ...read more read less