X-Ray Cafe (Paperback)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The X-Ray Cafe was a small music venue in Portland, Oregon, United States from 1990 to 1994. An all-ages and community-oriented club, the X-Ray played a "heavyweight role in shaping Portland's underground culture," fostering such musical acts as Elliott Smith, Team Dresch, and Quasi, and was described by Details as one of the best rock and roll clubs in the country. It was characterized by a surreal environment and performers; owners Tres Shannon and Benjamin Arthur Ellis, who took over the U.F.O Cafe to establish the X-Ray, would often dress in clown costumes, and encouraged acts that featured instruments that aren't typically associated with rock music. As grunge and alternative music were emerging in Seattle under a national spotlight, the X-Ray served as an important stage for smaller acts in the genre, and along with nearby Satyricon nightclub, established Portland as an important regional performing destination for touring bands.