Boomtown Saloon

Photo: Richard Bernhardt

Boomtown Saloon is Jacksonville's locally owned neighborhood saloon and one of Southern Oregon's most community-centered live music venues, occupying the corner of California and Third Streets in the historic downtown of one of Oregon's oldest and most charming small towns. Opened by Southern Oregon natives Scott and Amy Dunn in the space previously occupied by the LodeStar Bar, Boomtown has become a fixture of the Rogue Valley music scene through two anchoring weekly music events that serve two distinct but equally devoted audiences. Wednesday nights belong to the acoustic open mic, hosted and MC'd by Bryan Oliver, which draws a packed house of both performers and non-musician regulars who come specifically to watch the rotating variety show of local talent. Sign-up opens at 7pm and fills fast, with music starting at 8pm; the format has been described as a living room where beginners are as welcome as veterans and improvement over time is the point. Saturday nights are reserved for booked live band performances, with acts taking the stage in the corner of the bar. The room is small and the intimacy is the point: the bar packs to the walls on busy nights. Beyond music, Boomtown keeps its regulars busy with pool, shuffleboard (described as one of the best in Southern Oregon), slot machines, and a full bar built around Oregon craft beer, local wines, and spirits. The venue has served as a genuine incubator for Southern Oregon singer-songwriters including Erika Flockoi and Adrian Crowfly, who both credit the Boomtown open mic as the space where they found their footing as performing musicians.