For when you are feeling: Blue

Kevin McElroy introduced a song to Blue that he had played a few weeks back for a 200-person dinner. The dinner crowd was eating and talking, not listening to his music, so McElroy played the song on a continuous loop for 45 minutes. No one noticed.

People at Blue? They would notice. This is a place where nothing goes missing. The proprietor, Barry P. Martin, doubles as your server, and most patrons know him by name. People entering see that the door won’t shut behind them (Fix that lock Barry!), so they stop and mess with the lock, each and every one of them. And when someone's cell phone rings, the place stops. I can hear people thinking, "How rude." Most know better. They step outside to chat.

Some of this comes with a stage into such a small space. But Downtown Lounge, a similarly-sized hangout, is a tight squeeze, yes, but the nature of the bar allows you to stay anonymous. The crowd at Blue encourages meeting new people and bar-wide singalongs, an entirely new feeling in Portland.

Blue is one a handful of places in P-Town that offers live music almost every night (besides Sunday and Monday, when Blue is closed). The small, tasteful shows are a destination for a decidedly older (or at least more mature) crowd than any other place my wallet can stomach. You get the singer-songwriter types here, but also raucous ethnic music, soul singers and traditional Irish sessions.

Continuing the Dublin theme from last week's trip to Brian Boru, I went to Blue's Wednesday Irish Night. McElroy led the concert, which is free, except for a collections plate-style basket passed around and filled with small bills by spectators. I agree with Martin's thought that the crowd is oldest on Wednesday. The youngest people besides myself were in their 30s, but if you are feeling the music as I was, you won't feel out of place.

Wednesday also features Blue's only real drink special (coincidence that I went on that night? I think not) and there are shamrock-decorated Guinness (20 oz.) for $3. Other good beers are available as well, but the real selection is on the wine list.

"Our wine list has really evolved. It's one of the better in city," Martin says. "We have 130 bottles, all at different styles and price points."

Those wines are best picked off the feature wine list, an ever-changing chalkboard advertising wines that start at $6. We went with a $7 Hobnob Pinot Noir, which sure tasted better than the Carlo Rossi I am used to (kidding...kind of). If you really want to get the night started, start with a triple-shot of — what? Say it ain't so!

"We have no hard liquor," Martin says. "We could reevaluate it in the future, but at this point I feel like liquor would sort of undermine what we are trying to do with the wine...It's really just a matter of being more focused."

Seagram's drinkers, don't let that deter you from visiting. It's just more reassurance that Blue does its own thang. Another great example: No TV.

"We had a television. But over time I realized TV is at odds with the music, so I decided to get rid of it. It makes the point this is a performance venue," Martin says, bravely joining The White Heart as places that have renounced the brain-numbing screen.

The food is in its own class too. Much of it is made up of light fare such as hummus or vegetable plates, and the menu changes frequently enough that it is on a chalkboard next to the featured wines. The most expensive thing I saw was an $11 plate of Bri cheese, so its not too pricey, either. Blue is a great place to mix and match food and drink to get the perfect combo. If in doubt, just ask. They will know what goes with that glass of wine.

Not many people in the "going out" crowd seem to have Blue on their radar. But that's OK. Most of these people wouldn't like Blue anyway (umm, like, where's DJ 95.9?). Even better, Blue is doing fine without them, because the crowd is consistent and the bar makes good use of its space. Scan the music listings and pick a show to check Blue out. Even if it is not for you, you will experience something different than the usual, and that in itself is worth the trip.