Live At Madrid’s
Much like many of the emerging bands it hosts, Live at Madrid's is still "just trying to get our name out there" following its grand opening in March.
Since plans for the venue were announced, many in Portland's music community have wondered whether it might fill the void left by Port City Music Hall, a former pillar of Portland’s music community. But Meg Shorette, talent buyer for the late venue – and now for Madrid’s – says the new space is working to establish an identity of its own.
With the closure of the Music Hall, the city lost avenues for local artists to perform, connect with audiences, and gain experience on stage. Those opportunities previously existed at Sun Tiki Studios as well; now operating solely as a recording and rehearsal space, Sun Tiki once held shows for crowds of up to 200 people, featuring local acts like Murcielago and Talons of Spring and bigger names like Wheatus. Shorette believes the Madrid's lounge has helped bring back those opportunities.
“The lounge has kind of inadvertently taken the place of Sun Tiki," she said. The space, which also accommodates up to 200 attendees, gives developing bands a chance to build a following and gain live performance experience before moving on to larger venues.
While comparisons to Port City Music Hall are common, Shorette welcomes them only to a point. "We want to embrace that," she said. “But also make it clear that Live at Madrid's is its own thing."
That distinction extends to the venue's name itself. "It's been hard to get people to call it the full name," Shorette added, noting the challenge of building a recognizable brand while many people continue to associate the venue with its predecessor.Live at Madrid's relies heavily on bar sales – but changing consumer habits are creating challenges for this common model. Younger audiences, particularly members of Gen Z, are drinking less than previous generations. ‘We've gotta get creative," Shorette said. "People aren't slamming forty-five PBRs a night anymore."
At the same time, she has noticed an increase in younger musicians actively pursuing live performance opportunities. Organizations such as the Maine Academy of Modern Music (MAMM) and Eminence Arts are helping prepare a new generation of artists eager to get on stage.
"Wherever they're coming from, it's working," Shorette said. "Because they're out there." Whether those two trends are connected remains unclear. What is clear is that venues are adapting to a changing landscape, balancing new audience habits with growing interest from young performers.
Portland currently has a wide range of small clubs and large venues, including Thompson's Point and the State Theatre. Live at Madrid's occupies an important middle ground between those spaces. "We're the jump up between 450-500 to 800 [audience members]," Shorette said.
For many Maine artists, that makes the venue a crucial stepping stone – a place where bands can grow beyond smaller clubs without immediately jumping to the city's largest stages.
As Live at Madrid's continues to establish itself, it hopes to provide opportunities for the next generation of musicians while carving out a distinct spot in Portland's growing music community.
