BACK 2 EARTH
3536 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
Years: 2023 - present
Post on Shout Out Facebook page:
BACK 2 EARTH
Portland’s Newest Gay Bar
By Byron Beck
Back 2 Earth, Portland's newest LGBTQA+ destination, opens Friday, June 30.
Located on Northeast Martin Luther King Boulevard, Back 2 Earth offers an ALL inclusive, approachable bar setting for the queer community and its allies.
Back 2 Earth is open Tuesday through Sunday with a full and colorful list of local beers and craft cocktails as well as a curated menu of small plate dishes and bar snacks.
The unique and welcoming space features a killer visual and audio sound system, lounge seating, a vertical plant wall and a diverse weekly entertainment schedule including the area's top DJ's.
Back 2 Earth owner Dan Henderson is a longtime nightlife aficionado and the owner of the popular North Portland gay club The Eagle. Shout Out had a chance to speak to Dan about Back 2 Earth, and this is what the very down to earth Dan had to say.
Shout Out: What is Back 2 Earth and who is its audience?
Dan Henderson: Back 2 Earth is a reflection of my passions combined with my desire to do something different that I hadn't seen in other queer spaces. I went for nature, sciences, and futurism. I earned a degree from Portland State University in environmental science. I love making art, and bringing community together. The audience will be people that resonate with that.
How did you come up with that name?
I think we've all gotten lost out in space about the bigger picture of what it means to be a whole community. We can reconcile our differences in queer culture. We have to have hard conversations that create progress. The world has been trying to tear us apart and we have so much more potential in unity. Let's come back to earth for a more grounded queer future.
What is different about B2E from other queer-centered or queer-friendly spaces?
Our aesthetic.
How would you describe the visual experience that is B2E?
When you walk in you will see a whole wall alive with 162 plants. Another wall projecting nature daytime, underwater biology early evenings, and outer space at night. Thomas Lauderdale, from Pink Martini, gave me three giant 100 year old lamps that I restored with help that are really unique. There is a shelving system behind the bar and DJ booth that lights up and moves. A hanging moss installation and other plant based art. The back area is more intimate with "cloud lighting" and the table below plays pond water microbiology. I put in all new seating and painted everything everywhere.
Will B2E have games?
Yes we are going to have game night on Thursdays. 2025th st is an amazing local artist that hosts game night at The Eagle on Tuesdays and has done lots of the art there and is working on projects here too. The pond water microbiology art installation doubles as a video game table for game nights and so does the projector wall. There will also be lots of other board games, card games, and physical games. We have a stand up arcade machine that has hundreds of games coming too.
I hear that B2E has an incredible sound system and is it true that you will be playing a lot of vinyl?
Yes we kind of went overkill for the sound system but as a vinyl DJ myself that was really important to me. That way we can have high quality sound without having to crank it so high all the time. We will have it loud for dance parties and entertainment, but you can still talk and feel the bass at the same time. We have the highest quality audio equipment including turntables and modular synthesizers. Sundays afternoon Tea Dances are specifically for vinyl mixing and playing only. We encourage vinyl otherwise as well.
Will you have an outdoor area?
Not quite yet. For now we have a small area out front. The logistics for getting the space next door are in motion...before next spring is the target.
Can guests expect to see performances or special-themed events?
Yes we have an abundance of performers, entertainers, live music, a game night, karaoke, and more fun things booked for the future.
What else might they expect?
So many visual and music projects are just getting started. Once we get going we are already planning things that get more community involved such as lots of art projects, art workshops, video mixing workshops and competitions, and very importantly allowing local and new people an opportunity to showcase their art or talents.
What is one thing that you want guests to know about B2E that is different from the other spaces you have owned and operated?
I want B2E to be a queer space that is not specifically for any one queer community but for everyone. Most queer spaces that I have found in the past cater specifically to gay men or lesbians. I want to be a part of the movement of making queer spaces more inclusive. I bought The Eagle four years ago and it is primarily a space for gay men and historically has and will be. Since taking over I've made sure that everyone there is welcome there regardless. Specifically encouraging leather and fetish folks of all types. B2E has no previous history and is a fresh start for our community. I want to encourage the diversity in our community to find commonplace and unite.
Back 2 Earth is located at 3536 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Open Tuesday-Sunday. Closed July 4