Courtesy / Malone Commercial Brokers
Portland House of Music attracts local acts and larger acts looking for intimate venues.
August 24, 2022
Portland music venue with a ‘unique niche’ sells to Colorado industry pro
Courtesy / Malone Commercial Brokers
The buyer says Maine musicians are tightly knit and supportive of one another.
The seller of a Portland live music venue who was ready to retire said he was glad to find a buyer who has a lifelong career in the industry.
“My goal was to drive by in 10 years and still see it be successful,” Ken Bell told Mainebiz. “That’s what Patrick offered.”
Bell sold the Portland House of Music, at 25 Temple St., to Patrick Calabro.
The list and sale price were not disclosed.
Mike Anderson and Karen Rich of Malone Commercial Brokers brokered the transaction.
Bell previously owned another music venue called the Big Easy, also in Portland, for eight years. The Big Easy closed in 2013.
Looking to open another venue, he reached out to Anderson. They identified a street-level retail space to lease in the Temple Street Parking Garage at 25 Temple St. The space was previously occupied by a flower shop.
Bell converted the space into a year-round music venue that holds 300 people and opened in 2015. The venue hosts local, regional and national acts.
“It’s the perfect size for doing small local shows, as well as bringing in larger acts looking for intimate venues,” Bell said.
Looking to slow down a bit, he listed the business for sale in early 2020.
“We had a lot of people who were very interested, but it’s a very unique business,” he said. “You need someone with talent and experience.”
He said he found that in Calabro, who has spent his career as a booking agent and concert promoter in Colorado, New York, London and Las Vegas.
“It’s been my life since 2010,” Calabro said.
Portland House of Music is his first venture into Maine.
What attracted him?
“I love Portland and I love Maine,” Calabro said. “I had been to the club for a couple of concerts over the years. The Portland music scene is pretty cool, pretty unique.”
The venue closed for 17 months during the pandemic, reopened in July 2021 and was operating by the time Calabro investigated the listing.
The layout includes 2,733 square feet of space with a stage that’s 13 feet by 24 feet, removable high-top tables and chairs, a dance space and an upstairs green room. An outdoor area is utilized in the warmer months for acoustic music.
Courtesy / Malone Commercial Brokers
The layout includes 2,733 square feet of space with a stage, tables and chairs, dance space, upstairs green room and outdoor area for acoustic music.
Calabro plans to operate as is.
“I’m not trying to make any changes,” he said. “It serves a really important purpose in the music community in Portland. What Ken established is really great.”
“It’s one of the local-musician hot spots,” noted Anderson. “And beyond local, too.”
Calabro, who lives in Colorado, said Portland has a unique niche in the music scene.
“The local musicians are so tightly knit and so supportive of one another,” he said.
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