I usually only come to Holocene for their event or themed nights. Actually, I'm pretty sure I've only been to this venue once when it wasn't some kind of themed party. The location is close to downtown, and the space is perfect for dance parties. There is a nicely sized dance floor near the DJ stage, and a massive area for overflow dancing in the back. The bar is centrally located, with plenty to drink. The only issue I've ever had is that the bar isn't very well staffed. But that might also have something to do with the fact that I go there when half of Portland is also there. The music played is always house music, so if you're looking for a place where you'll be able to sing along with most of the dancing fare, you're out of luck on this one. But it's a great place to run into people and have a generally good time. I enjoy the fact there's a permanent photo booth there, but that might have something to do with the fact that my face becomes exponentially more expressive once I've had a few drinks. Well, that and I love posing. Sometimes, it's nice to spend an evening out of the downtown area, and when I do that, this is my first choice to stop by. I know I'm always going to run into a healthy dose of the Portland gays, so if that's important to you (like it is to me), this is a pretty good option to check out. read more

I used to refuse to go here because I felt like the hipsters were giving me death stares, but either they've gotten nicer, I just don't care anymore, or (gasp) I've become one of them. I've been here for DJ sets (Hood Internet, Gaycation, K-pop dance night) and a couple of shows. I appreciate that Holocene brings the $5 dance parties. Keep them coming! I also got their signature drink once, and it was a $6 cold blended thing. cool. There's a coat rack. Helpful. Also a photobooth. They overdo it with the fog machine though. I can barely breathe sometimes. read more

Not as good as I remember..disappointed! All drinks watered down. 2 shots of patron tequila cost $24. We watched the bartender pour it infront of us even. Did not taste like full strength and did not feel anything at all after. Our group ordered other drinks and had same problem, drinks expensive and not very good. Crowd is eclectic Portland. Music was just alright, not what was advertised. Bathrooms nasty, wet floors toilet paper everywhere. ALSO, the door man tried to upcharge twice the amount for cover. From $5 to $10 at 10:32pm when cover advertised as $8 after 10:30 pm. #shady read more

I've been going here 4 plus years and I love it. Sadly I'm moving away, and will miss everyone there, the regulars, the security, the bartenders! Cool people. They make you feel at home and remember you. Love the music they've had all these years. A ritual of mine was to dance there nearly every friday haha. I highly recommend. read more

+1- Being a venue welcoming to the queer community and our events. +1- For always having eye candy. +1- Fun space for shows. -1- The layout always seems kind of awkward. At the all ages shows they house there for some reason, those who want a drink have to stand behind ropes. At doubledown, the back room is like empty while everyone is smashed into the small part. -1- $5 wells? Are you serious? Yes... I am a cheapskate. But a well should never be more than $4. read more

Holocene is a very good-looking place. I'm not talking about the people, although it seems that Portland has a lot of good-looking people as well. I mean to say that Holocene itself is a very chic and well-designed venue/danceclub/bar. I only know that there are so many slashes in that description from reading other peoples' reviews. High ceilings, and a smart use of levels and furniture make this club's "areas" very clear. When you are coming in, you are not on the dance floor. When you are in the bar, you are also not on the dance floor. I love this place, because I didn't feel like dancing, and I didn't feel out of place. I would LOVE to check out a cool band here, and if they played in the front room where the DJ was, the entire top level would provide amazing spots as well as the floor level. The night I went, it was a danceclub with deejays spinning. *Insert shameless plug for DJ Linoleum here* Seriously, though, she was amazing, and controlled the crowd. Gently. We were all sitting down sipping our drinks, and then before you knew it, even the people who clearly have no rhythm looked like they were figuring it out! Good looking drinks, venue and people. Who doesn't like that? read more

Holocene is a really cool venue with multiple areas to hang out. You have the ability to be on the dance floor or have your own space depending on what you're feeling in the moment. They also have drinks that won't break the bank. The events offered here are creative. I definitely recommend taking a group of friends out to Holocene during their next event! read more

i USUALLY love this place i go a lot for shows and USUALLY have a great time! This past Friday i went for another show to where I had won 2 free tix. The super pretentious asshole that greated me at the door to take tickets and check for ID's accused me of lying about the ticket, which i had printed off, and had an email confirmation confirming by the manager that my name would be on the list at the door. The guy was a dick and made fun of me and then told me the only reason he's letting me in is because he's a "nice guy" !!!! He's an idiot. Hope he gets fired. read more

The exterior is nothing but the inside that's where it counts. I really like the high ceiling industrial feel of this place. There is no food, kinda disappointing. But the drinks are good. The service is good too. I was there couple times for small concerts. The stage room is small and close and intimate, which is how any venue should be designed. The DJ dance floor is simple and comfortable. Plenty of seatings for a good group of people. I got to know few of the bartenders when I started sketching them... while my friend is hitting the single scene. Holocene is also a good hub of lgbt friendly scene. But without the Abercrombie and Fitch dressed yuppies and suburbans. PS: They also do movie screening every once in a while. read more

Sometimes, you want a quaint little coffee shop to relax in. Other times you want a hidden gem of a microbrewery with a huge selection. Now and then, you want to get your drink on and dance. And you want to do it now. Holocene is the place for that. The drinks are strong, friendly service, and the times I've gone it's been busy. You meet interesting folks here. Try it at least once! read more

Local artists, modern decor, good sized dancefloor spaces, an indoor room for smokers that keeps them off the main dance area, a coat rack in the corner where you can hang up the puffy jacket, mixed gay/straight crowd and all of them friendly. I come here only occasionally for specific shows, but each time it's been very fun. read more

Holocene - Dance Clubs Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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We were looking for a place to go and a friend picked this place, I wasn't sure what to expect, dance clubs aren't necessary my style. The place was awesome. Great vibes everywhere, the crowd was into it and everyone was friendly, not fussy. The bar does get busy and it takes time to get drinks, that never really bothers me though. The bartenders were constantly working, they pour their best and don't rush through making drinks so the quality doesn't suffer from the line. Hence a lot of the wait as well. read more

Holocene is a sexy place, with unique lighting & a very likable industrial-art feel, but really, how sexy is waiting in line for half an hour for a drink? Seriously, on the queer dance party nights (which is all I ever go for), it's so packed that it's tempting to just loiter in or near the drinks line all night so one can get right back in line as soon as she's purchased a cocktail -- which is precisely what a lot of people do. By prime club hours, it's utterly packed there - sweatily, squeeze-between-people-hoping-to-god-that-one-girl-in-particular-doesn't-think-you're-attempting-a-grope PACKED. The music is better than most, but the dance floor is too tiny for the crowd, so you're forever at risk of being elbowed or trampled. Another annoying thing is the constant state of chaos on the bathroom. Stall doors with broken latches, no toilet paper, etc. Seriously, people. If you're throwing an all-girl event, consider tripling your t.p. stock for the night. Think it through. read more

Absolutely terrible customer service. I have reached out via phone & left numerous voicemails and have never heard back. I also reached out via email and never heard back. The Holocene cost me $200 when they could have returned a phone call or email and saved me this money because of an incorrect ticket scan. read more

For a dance club, I was pleasantly surprised to visit it on a night that featured anything but dance music - but that was a-ok. (saw port. junction washington - they were pretty rad, but I digress). The building is quite spacious, features 3 areas to roam and chill plus a smoking room. The sound was excellent, the gal behind the mixer knew her stuff. Drinks were quite pricey however...A good mix of people made for a good time, i will be back! read more

What a curious space. Big room with DJ music and bar, a "chill room" with couches, and a stage area where the main acts were performing. Drinks were not cheap, but I get it. If hipsters are willing to pay $10 Jameson then let them! This place definitely suggested to me that indie music actually could produce something interesting although I didn't really follow up on that feeling for maybe a couple months. I saw a live looper (first time I'd ever seen someone do it live) and some ambient shoegazey duo perform was here. It was kind of peculiar because in the main stage there weren't any seats, people just sat on the floor. I had been to hundreds of music concerts in my life but I can't remember (at least being getting into indie music) anything where people would just sit on the floor and space out to the music. I now know other musicians who have passed through Holocene and I give them props for being able to host that kind of music consistently. It's not for everyone, but give the live music here a chance because the venue sets a great vibe for the whole experience. read more

Great venue for anything EDM. Saw Kasbo here and the vibe was great. Not too big of a venue, full bar (and water on tap which is huge), and the sound system is phenomenal. Would return in a second. read more

Dont get the VIP army tent! You get no VIP treatment at all. And u have to pay extra to get in besides what was spent on the tent. There was no server, no bottle chilling, nothing but a old tent hidden away from the party. They also dont return emails. Long story short, I would never go back. read more

The venue was nice. The show was amazing but near the end of the night they had the door open and the smokers outside diffed that nasty smell in. Kinda killed my mood. read more

***Full Disclosure: I have played many shows in bands and as a DJ at Holocene*** You'll notice that my main criterion for judging places is whether or not they "do it right." Holocene does it right in every way, to both its patrons and performers. In a city full of dives, Holocene brings a little slice of New York style to our fair PDX. The joint has class. A good sound system, absolutely the best bartenders in town, (re: Bridget,) great booking agents, yummy food (should you so desire), and some of the best sound guys in town. The only thing Holocene could use? Not being across the street from Sassy's. read more

Supposedly owned by a San Franciscan = I like it already. Only drawback I'd agree with below re: sound system but it's not tragic. As long as you're a little bit back from the dj, the middle speakers will feed you. And, pleasssssse make sure the opening dj's know what they're doing. :) read more

A very cool venue/club with lots of space to dance around & mill about. That is, until it gets ridiculously crowded & then suddenly it becomes impossible to move without either stepping on someone's toe or spilling someone's drink. Speaking of which, spilling someone's drink in this dance hall could be considered a major offense, seeing as the amount of time it likely took to get said drink was probably 45 minutes, & replacing it means standing in back of the line for another 50 minutes to get a replacement, all while dodging sweaty, drunk people who are coming off of the dance floor for refreshments/cigarette breaks/booty grabs. My advice? Come early (before 10pm) if you're wanting to sprawl out like a starfish while dancing & get your drink on without an hour wait. Otherwise, you'll find yourself walking out at 11pm dry as a bone & sweaty as a pig. (PS: I came for Booty Bassment & it's possible that the level of crowdedness depends solely on the event.) read more

Haiku: The music is good. The service at Holocene? Bartenders are rude. read more

This space in itself was a nice small spot, however... the bartenders are hands down the worst I have seen, I am a whisky/scotch drinker and I have never tasted so much water in a neat drink. Not to mention the bartender had no idea what he had stocked in his bar. I asked for balvenie and he starred at me like a middle school boy looks at a girl during a dance. read more

Came here while on vacation from LA. A very chill, laid-back vibe. Good music.

Not your typical dance club. The bar is jam packed but the club is pretty huge. We went on a night where they were playing cultural music. They had cultural dancing playing on huge projector screens and catchy music we've never heard before with an awesome dancing beat. I didn't feel judged here, it was one of those places you could let loose and get crazy knowing that is exactly what everyone else was doing around you. The dance floor was busy but not too packed leaving you some room to flail your arms around if you felt so inclined. read more

They used to have more DJ shows... I like the space... when it gets busy the bar can get overwhelmed and it can take a while to order a drink... - I like it when they have funky shows in the extra room... Like when we saw a great funky rasta style band where all the singer said was "fire fire... burn! burn!" - I miss the dirty smoking room... great spot for crazy conversations... and the anti smoking paintings used to crack me up... - I think bangra is better over the fez... I am not a big fan of bangra at holocene (sorry)... read more

This is the first space Ive been to in Portland that seems to be primarily for DJs and dancing. Let me be clear, this is NOT a Jersey Shore club. Not a meathead or Todd and Jennifer in sight. I'll be honest that I hate cover. The crowd, the night I was there, seemed to have an average age of under 25. It takes forever to get a drink. But if you go on the right night with the right music Im sure none of that matters. Im told the mixed drinks are strong but also expensive. In the end this is a dance place. Not too meat markety. Its not my every night place. When Im in that dancy storta mood, it will be on my shortlist. read more

Very nice place, I attended a fashion show there and had a good time. They have a large bar area, and two levels for lounging and dancing. Gets a lot of good looking, sophisticated women. read more

Overall, hard to beat as a show and event space. Of all the places I miss after my recent move to New York, Holocene tops the list. Still, not for everybody. An accessible location and a killer schedule made me a fan. I've met friends and girlfriends there, and have Holocene to thank for some of my favorite shows. The freshest bands generally have come to Holocene, and the space is one of the best its size- shows tend to be very engaging, which is partly a result of the well- designed space. The hagout space works well as a dancefloor, although dance nights tend to be a bit bro-like. Throughout the year there are also top- notch events like art mini golf (best, weirdest mini golf ever) and a movie night (Nurses playing the score to a Czech Vampire Film was quite memorable) There are still some drawbacks: one of the longest waits for a drink, and an average sound system. The atmosphere can be intimidating, and if you're expecting to be the coolest or most attractive person, you'll be quite disappointed. In a city of comfortable and relaxing spaces, Holocene is a great place to let your ego live dangerously. Be nice. read more

Holocene is one of my favorite spots in the 503. The monthly 90s dance party is especially fun, with gin and juice on the specials list and Dr. Adam on the ones and twos. I would put Adam's rap mix at the top of the list for Portland DJs. The guy is a true technician - I even went so far as downloading some of his mixes. The crowd is a mixture of hipsters, hoedads, and everything in between. The space is large and cavernous, with a warehouse feel and a good-sized dance floor. If you like to dance and are nostalgic for 90s rap, then this is the spot for you! read more

I went to Holocene tonight (November 25, 2016) for their 90's dance party. What I wanted was to enjoy a night with friends. I was not expecting to be SEXUALLY ASSAULTED by a large man and have it BE TOLERATED by the bouncers at holocene. As I was dancing with friends, a large man with a beard wrapped his arms around me and pushed me against a table, seemingly attempting to move me out of his way and cop a feel at the same time. If he wanted to move me, he could have: tapped me on the shoulder, said excuse me, pushed his way through without touching me. He did not have my permission to GROPE ME or touch me in any way. I was not drunk, dancing with him, or interacting with him in any way, and if I was, it still would not have been acceptable. After the people I was with pushed him off of me, I notified security. They told me they would give the man a warning. Apparently at the Holocene, a man can sexually assault a woman TWICE before he gets kicked out. One complaint of sexual assault is not enough. My word is apparently not valid even though I was groped and pushed against a table. As a paying customer, I believe I should be guaranteed a safe space where I will not be assaulted when I enter the doors of this establishment. Furthermore, the Holocene should take sexual harassment seriously and institute a zero tolerance policy. Giving the man a second chance sends the message that his behavior is acceptable, whereas my friends and I no longer felt safe and decided to leave. Until this establishment apologizes to my friends and me and changes their policy on sexual harassment I will no longer patronize this business. Do not support this business if you do not tolerate sexual harassment. read more

Anyone in Portland or in general, in Oregon, please share. Last night, three of us drove an hour and went out to Holocene to attend their R&B event because we wanted to enjoy our Thanksgiving Break and we are all women over 21. However, the bouncer and the so-called manager did not let us in because I had an IDNYC (issued by the government of New York City) and they thought it was a prescription discount and nothing else. We explained to them what IDNYC is and how all 8 million New Yorkers are eligible for the ID, and even showed them the government website about the ID, http://www1.nyc.gov/site/idnyc/index.page but they refused to look at it and kept denying us entry. We were happy not to do business with them anyways because without looking at any evidence, they kept denying in a very condescending way that such form of ID does not exist (it does, and again, it is government issued), and all three of us were minority women so we are just wondering if blatant ignorance plus marginalization play a part in this. He told me to go get a passport or driver licence so that I have a legal form of ID. Just because I am a woman of color does not mean he can assume I have no ID, plus my ID is again issued by NYC government so it is as legal as any other ID's. Poor person refuses to check out IDNYC website and told a New Yorker that such ID does not exist in NYC. This is unacceptable behavior. We condemn the act of Holocene and its staff and will never do any business with them anymore, and we encourage our Portland friends to share this post also. Thanks so much. read more

4 stars because the music is great but the actual setup of the venue is kind of weird. Theres the stage with a floor around it, and then a lowered tiered floor as well. Definitely DJ friendly (The Black madonna, Manatee Commune, Elohim to name a few) and the crowd here is always a little older than at Wonder/Roseland, which is nice! Drinks are quality as well. When there are tickets at the door, its cash only! read more

Given the fact that there are few if any good places to see DJ's in this town anymore, I've gone with a two-star review instead of my gut-instinct 1-star...meaning there may be a snow-balls chance in hell that I'll set foot there under the right circumstances. Admittledly, it's been a long time since I've been there. That's because after hanging out in what passes for a "scene" there for about 6 months, I dubbed it Shallow-cene and moved on. Enough said. read more

Drinks were good, cover was cheap. But overall it wasn't for me. The music was just really bad. I'll stick to bars in Portland, and good jams back on the East coast. read more

Last night 11/16/18 my partner, sister, and I went to the Holocene in hopes of having a fun night out. Instead we were harassed by the bouncer with the shaved and tattooed head. I do believe there was a degree of ageism in how we were treated, as my partner and I are in our early 20's but my sister is a young 40 something. We had been dancing for a few hours waiting for the Lil Party to start (which is a whole other issue as every 15 minutes the DJ would anounce that *shortly* the real party would be starting....for two hours) and my sister decided to catch some air and have a cigarette. When she tried to return the bouncer refused her entry because she had sat down on the curb to rest. Mind you she had been enjoying herself and DANCING for several hours and was a little tired, so she wanted to rest for a minute. My sister did not want to cause a scene so she didn't argue with the bouncer and instead texted me to let me know what was going on. I tried to close our tabs which the bartender would not allow me to do without everybodys ID's (okay sure I get you don't want fraud but we were just trying to make a smooth exit at that point). So then I had to wait outside with my sister while my partner settled her tab. At this point the bouncer starts antagonizing my sister about how "messed up" she was and threatening to call the police if we didn't move along. My sister was starting to get understandably upset and asked if there was a supervisor or manager she could talk to to address how everything had been handled, the bouncer said she was the manager and then accused us of being sexist for not thinking she was the manager (we were a group of mostly queer women???). Tensions really started to rise then as my sister lost her patience for the whole matter and the bouncer kept instigating further contact with us. We were finally able to leave but the whole matter was extremely unprofessional and it absolutely seemed like age discrimination and a power hungry bouncer. Obviously we will not be spending any more money at this establishment and we will let all of our friends know the same. read more

I would like the staff of Holocene to know that they lost a regular customer, I enjoyed coming here to party at Dance Yourself Clean but when I arrived and ordered a drink the bartender (white guy in a black shirt with black hair) started screaming at me and claiming I didn't pay him when I had already told him that I had a tab up front. Then he just walked off without offering any sort of apology. I understand it's loud in there, and they must deal with a lot of drunken idiots regularly but this was only my 2nd drink I had ordered. I came here to have a good time, but instead I get chastised for no reason when I try to enjoy myself and escape after a long week. I tried to get his name from a security guy but he simply said "go ask him yourself". I ended up closing my tab with Krystal and she was polite (and calm) enough to explain to me that I needed to show my ID when I ask to order/close out my tab. I mentioned that this other guy never explained that to me, and she tried to justify his attitude that he was having a rough day. If you're reading this my friend, I get it, we all have rough days but that in no way allows you to treat your PAYING CUSTOMERS like crap. If you were genuinely sorry, you would have told me yourself. Apparently they think it's okay to treat people however they like here. I won't be coming back. read more

This place is sometimes great, but for Slay (LGBTQ+ night) they only played music by men! We left because we were bored.

i'd like to talk to you about Holocene but you'll have to speak slowly, i'm still learning how to read lips. why? when you hang speakers from the ceiling large enough to bury me in (speaking of which, when the time comes i just want to say for the record, "Cremation all the way, baby!") in an industrial space with concrete everywhere and a singer who apparently was suffering from mittelschmerz, let's just say, "What?? Your granny was a duck wrangler?? Huh??" strangely mutating drinks--3 iterations of the same "Lawn Chair" was like drinking 3 completely different drinks. as they say in Thailand, "Same same, but different." gotta love a place that forces you to ask for "Free Kitty" when you want a muddled strawberry lemonade cocktail! luckily they don't have "Smack Me Upside The Head" on the drink menu altho with the acoustics you'd probably end up with, "Snake On The Bed." yelp calculus: star 1: nice sized lounge area with lots of seating star 2: friendly barkeeps with crazy drink names star 3: hilarious people watching--maybe he ordered Snake On The Bed.... star 4: sorry, i can't hear you, can you write it down? I SAID... star 5: writhing on the stage from mittelschmerz read more