Low Bar Chorale

pop rock · rock

Low Bar Chorale is a Portland, Oregon group-singalong project in which the audience itself is the performing ensemble, singing rock songs in three-part harmony backed by a rotating collective of professional Portland musicians. Participation is drop-in only: there are no auditions, no rehearsals and no prior musical experience required, and minors are welcome when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Song selections are posted in advance so attendees can learn their parts, and the room then works through the harmonies together before performing them. The project runs three show formats, with regular shows built around three or four songs, singalong shows covering ten or more, and harmony singalong shows in the five-to-ten range. It holds monthly dates at Revolution Hall's Show Bar on SE Stark Street and at Mississippi Studios in addition to touring. Beyond its home rooms it has performed in Australia, Alaska, California and across the Pacific Northwest, and has appeared before crowds numbering in the tens of thousands at events including the Mississippi Street Fair, Pioneer Square's Singin' in the Square and Alaska's Salmonfest. The chorale has also shared stages and recordings with Built to Spill, Guster, Portugal. The Man and Storm Large. In January 2023 a chorale of roughly 150 Portlanders recorded a version of Run Away to Mars at Revolution Hall for video release. The project has been recognized in Willamette Week's Best of Portland and received the Portland Art Museum's All Tomorrow's Artists award. Its stated aim is to combine music, comedy and rock and roll to turn a room of strangers into a single chorus, and it sells season passes alongside single tickets for its multi-month runs of dates.

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