Turn! Turn! Turn! Wants To Be a "Place for Weirdos" - Portland Mercury

"On a recent weekend, the small music venue at the corner of North Williams and Northeast Killingsworth felt like a celebration. The new owners of Turn! Turn! Turn! (TTT) had just taken over, and their first weekend featured four sold out shows in three days. The unofficial opening weekend wasn't contrived, or even advertised as such; it happened for the same reasons that have made TTT a mainstay in the Portland music scene. It was an organic community effort."

"Ostrowski and Joel Christerson bought the venue after its previous owners announced last year that they would no longer continue. It was the third threat of TTT closing in recent years, after Scott Derr-who opened the venue in 2014-moved on in 2020. COVID-19 did a number on music venues, including TTT. Ownership changed hands twice more since then, as the building's short leases left it in limbo year after year. Now, the lease provides for another two years, and the place appears on the up and up."

"Their first weekend kicked off with three shows by legendary local duo Quasi, including an all-ages matinee that Saturday, and a record release by the experimental songwriter Dragging an Ox Through Water. The sound was more dialed compared with prior TTT years, with a host of equipment upgrades by local engineer Thomas Hoganson. Beyond a slightly expanded bar program and some new tables, they won't be making many changes to the space just yet."

""The expectations are realistic," Ostrowski said. "People know the space and know what to expect. Any improvement we do is just an added bonus-not really a rew""

Turn! Turn! Turn! (TTT) reopened under new ownership at North Williams and Northeast Killingsworth with four sold-out shows across three days. The weekend felt organic rather than staged, driven by the venue’s established role in the Portland music scene. Annie Ostrowski and Joel Christerson bought the venue after previous owners announced they would stop, following earlier closures and instability caused by COVID-19 and short leases. The new lease provides two more years, and the venue appears stable. The first weekend included multiple Quasi shows, an all-ages matinee, and a record release by Dragging an Ox Through Water. Sound quality improved through equipment upgrades, while the space changes remained minimal.

Read at Portland Mercury