Aaron’s Wine Cellar
New venue brings music to Montavilla area
If you’ve driven 82nd Avenue recently, you probably thought nothing has changed in years. That’s really not the case!
About two months ago, Ron Buchholz finished a complete remodel of the basement below the building that houses All-Ways Warm Woodstoves in the Montavilla area.
Doug Westberg and Bruce Covalt
On Aug. 1, he opened the doors to Aaron’s Wine Cellar & Piano Bar at 322 S.E. 82nd Ave. This is a large and wonderfully decorated establishment. You enter into a wide stairwell that leads you down pat a highly noticeable grand chandelier. This draws you in with light walls made of a striking knotty pine, a centrally located bar, nicely cushioned rattan furniture and numerous fireplaces. Other amenities include a dance floor, pool table, shuffleboard, air hockey and PacMan (specially priced at $.25). There’s also a classic jukebox and a Yamaha grand piano.
It’s said that timing is everything. Well, for Doug Westberg, that truly is the case. Early this summer he lost his job. As he walked up 82nd Ave., he noticed a sign with the name of this lounge and the words “Opening Soon.” He walked in and saw the grand piano, asked about the business and met Buchholz. The two talked for a while and developed a rapport. Soon thereafter, they agreed Westberg would be a regular pianist at Aaron’s.
Buchholz didn’t just get someone off the streets. Westberg is an accomplished pianist, songwriter and satirist. His music has been well under the radar in the Portland/Vancouver music scene for over 30 years. He has done a few limited theatrical productions like the original cabaret musical comedy The Almost Has-Been and The Nearly Never-Was (with Carol Holden), as well as some classical organ concerts and his two-hour Easter Vigil for organ, piano, cantor and choir. In 2004, he shared Songwriter Of The Year honors in the Portland Songwriters Association Showcase Series, and his song You’re All The Woman I Need won Best Country Song in the P.S.A. Song Contest.
Westberg’s current project, a solo cabaret show entitled Nicky Dearies And His Magical Keys, in his words “is an eclectic stew that includes equal parts Randy Newman, Tin Pan Alley, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Steely Dan and Scott Joplin, anchored by his body of brilliant originals. Featuring wickedly funny satire and virtuosic musicianship in a range of styles as versatile as his cover repertoire, Westberg’s original songs draw from ragtime, blues, boogie rock, piano jazz, modern jazz-pop and the Great American Songbook as it suits his purpose. Wildly inventive, brilliantly crafted and scathingly funny, his lyrics skewer politicians on both sides of the fence, our inept educational system, TV evangelists, the perils of modern technology and the vanity and vainglory of American popular culture in all its manifestations.
Westberg is excited about his gig at Aaron’s. “I’m doing what I was doing 35 years ago,” says Westberg, “before I took 30 years off to raise four kids, finish my music degree, spend 12 years as a church musician. It’s a dream...this place is a dream.” There was a catch, though. As Bruce Covalt says, “I came with the room.”
Covalt calls himself a silly sideman, but spend a few minutes listening to this duo and you notice how solid he is on the stand-up bass. Covalt began playing in a trio at Linfield College in the ‘60s. He went east and played in a jazz group in New York with Jim Pepper. A short stint with Tim Harbin stands out as another highlight. He then moved to Alaska playing and working for about 25 years before returning to Oregon. He has spent the last 18 years working with Buchholz.
This duet performs from 5 to midnight every Friday and Saturday evening, graciously filling requests, which can range from Westberg’s numerous originals to a host covers of songs by the likes of Randy Newman, Billy Joel, Leon Russell, Elton John, Mose Allison, Gershwin, Cole Porter, Chopin, Scott Joplin and 100s more. The two seem to have a lot of genuine fun and one would never know they’ve only been together for a few months.
Aaron’s Wine Cellar is still in a state of growth. At present, they specialize in Maryhill Vineyard wine, as well as a hand-picked selection of Alder Vineyard wines and a small but great list of beers. Buchholz says he is considering adding a few more nights of music and widening the genre a bit with possible acoustic, blues or folk. The menu is going to expand soon; at present you can get a generous cheese plate and some excellent desserts.
Aaron’s is worthy of your business. It’s a classy hide-a-way that will become one of your favorite hangouts. If you’re looking for a relaxing evening out in a quiet and comfortable sitting, you owe it to yourself to check this place out.
Aaron’s Wine Cellar and Piano Bar is easy to find mid-way between Burnside and Start at 322 S.E.82nd Avenue. If you choose to drive, there is off-street parking directly in front of the building. If you’re into mass transit, it’s readily available in lines 72, 15 and 20, within three blocks.