Hidden Music Cool
Psssst. The Dunes is the word, pass it on.

By Sam Dodge Soule, pdxguide.com

On a particularly bland stretch of lower Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, tucked away in the southern corner of a an unassuming three story cinder block building, home to a strikingly diverse selection of businesses -- hair salon, bakery, pankration gym -- hides perhaps the coolest place in Portland to check out music, the Dunes. Chances are, however, you haven't heard of this four-month old cafe, and that, apparently, is all according to plan.

Popular invisibility is a cornerstone to the Dunes' scheme of operations. But for this dark, closet-like space, tastefully decorated in high estate sale chic, maintaining a low profile is hardly the same thing as keeping quiet. Though all the typical cafe staples on hand -- coffee, tea, beer, wine, and a small selection of pastries -- what the Dunes specializes in is grade-A music with an adventurous flair. Throughout the week an impressive entertainment calendar chock-full of obscure Dj's, digital artists and rock 'n' roll bands is crammed into the short breath of a performance space located at the front of the room. So why is it all so hush-hush?

It may be perplexing at first, but the owners of the Dunes are resolute in keeping a lid on their hype. They engage in absolutely no major print advertising. That's right, forget consulting your favorite free weekly, the Dunes is not going to be in there. Not that this cafe operates in a complete promotional blackout: word-of-mouth, limited handbill distribution, and online postings define the Dunes grassroots approach to spread details about upcoming goings on; a website should be launched any day.

For most start-up businesses, such a selective approach to advertising would be the kiss of death. This will probably not be the case for the Dunes. Given that the cafe is owned by four established Portland scenesters who have spent years working in some of the trendiest hotspots in town, Dunes can quickly call upon a large pool of friends/potential patrons that can immediately be put "in the know" as to what is happening on any particular night. Though it is a practice that smacks of scenester clique-ishness, there is both a philosophy and a pragmatism at work behind this extremely reserved promotional policy, neither of which lack in merit.

On the practical side, there's space. Simply put, Dunes doesn't have a lot. It doesn't take much to fill this room to capacity and then dangerously flirt with a fire code violation. An infraction like that could seriously endanger business, as well as the standing of the Dunes' OLCC license. Widespread advertising of entertainment, all of which is free, could threaten the Dunes with being literally overrun, crushed by popular interest. A certain amount of exclusivity, therefore, becomes a matter of survival.

On the intellectual side, and by far the more important point, management at the Dunes purports that they are actively trying to create a "community" of music appreciators. By curbing promotional hype, and seeding their initial clientele with friends and people the owners respect, Dunes is effectively laying the groundwork for attracting the kind of progressive, well-tuned music-heads they wish to serve.

Though some may see the Dunes as putting on airs, it is hardly a rope-walk private club with a door person weeding out undesirables. It is not an unmarked hole-in-the-wall or an illegally operated after hours club. A simple sandwich board in girly cursive writing advertises "coffee" in front of the cafe on the sidewalk. Service at the counter is generally attentive and personable with an emphasis on being casual. No one is ever turned away. Their number is in the book.

Also, not knowing what to expect at the Dunes is actually one of the cafe's biggest attractions. There is a nice "surprise" angle to not advertising entertainment. A reputation is created. By virtue of being unpredictable, while consistently delivering quality shows, the Dunes becomes a place to go to see "what's up." And in all honesty, anything could be.

Recent visits to the Dunes have been rewarded with a huge variety of quality music. DJ's spun dub, hip-hop and country. A resident rock critic read poetry. A Seattle grunge luminary performed solo. And there were a whole slew of local indie and pop bands, live electronic music, as well as a couple of exceptional touring noise rock bands that blasted away, doing their thing. Perhaps the weirdest treat of all was the ambient bass/keyboard duo playing to no one in the cafe's chill dark, while outside the afternoon sun was setting a record for an all-time temperature high. Now, that is cool.

Basically, to enjoy the Dunes, you just have to hear about it. Congratulations.

The opinions expressed within are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of pdxguide.com or The Columbian Publishing Co.