If you’re looking for a fun night out in Portland — for a birthday, a girls’ night out, a good time with friends, a bachelor/bachelorette party, a date night, or just a chance to sample Portland’s nightlife — head on down to the historic Sinnott House in Portland’s entertainment district (pedestrian-only after 10 p.m. on weekends) and check out Portland’s longest running and only dueling piano show at the Barrel Room. At $5 per person, it’s a great budget entertainment option! (Read on to get tickets for free!)

We weren’t exactly sure what to expect when we went to the Barrel Room the first time. What was a duel between pianos exactly? Music? Competition? Sing-a-long? Comedy? The answer: all of the above!

It’s a great show!

Basically, two incredible piano players play — and sing — audience requests. All. Night. Long. The Barrel Room books national talent to play their Friday and Saturday night shows and these people are amazing musicians. The number of songs they know is completely crazy, and their witty repartee keeps the show lively. We’ve been to two shows, and I don’t think there were any requests they couldn’t play — for the right price! (Tipping is highly encouraged.)

Beware if it’s your birthday. Jeff got off easy with push-ups!

There’s lots of crowd participation as well, from singing along to being serenaded for a special event. Be forewarned, however, that the serenading can get a bit racy at times. Or more than a bit. All in good fun, of course. Luckily, Jeff got off pretty easy on his birthday, just having to shadowbox to the Rocky theme and do some push-ups. Whew!

They have an excellent bar and a good food menu, with great waitstaff to take care of you throughout the show. Can’t go wrong with giant blue drinks and crazy straws (see photo below)!

If dancing is your thing, the Barrel Room has a huge outdoor dance floor, too — The Patio Bar — open to the sky in summer and tented in winter. It’s the city’s largest outdoor dance space. We’re not quite hip enough to have hit the dance floor, but everyone looked like they were having a great time.

Portland’s largest outdoor dance venue – under cover in winter

This is a great spot for locals and those visiting Portland, and the Barrel Room has generously provided our readers with a code for free tickets! Use the code AWEEKEND on the Barrel Room’s reservations page for your tickets, and enjoy a great night of entertainment. Code valid through the end of March 2016.

Birthday drinks!

You’ll find The Barrel Room entrance in downtown Portland, mid-block between NW Couch and NW Davis Streets at Third Ave. If you decide to go down, let us know — maybe we’ll join you! Have fun in PDX, whether your next trip here is for a week or a weekend!

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