An Afternoon at 1234 House
The People 1234 House
1234 house sits between Hawthorne and Belmont Ave in Southeast Portland. Unbeknownst to the white house, she’s a focal point of 20th Ave, looking over the street on her own personal hill.
A set of stairs takes you up into 1234’s front yard patio that’s encased in looming apple and plum trees. My favorite spot at the house sits right under those trees: a small corner bench that gives me the perfect view of the street below.
1234 has been hosting people, from Portland visitors to Portland locals, since the early 2000s, when she was nothing but bare bones.
The Skeleton House, as some of 1234’s original veterans fondly refer to her as, was built in 1902. The house has experienced many renovations and is still constantly changing. When Evan Cael first bought the house, the 1234 House owner lived inside the gutted walls of 1234 with a rotating door of friends.
After moving in, Evan turned the 1234 House into a venue of sorts for local music over the years.
Flash forward to 2025, and Evan’s hosting another infamous house show.
Evan is a curator of energy, reading a room before people know they’re entering it. He’s gifted in creating a space that feels personalized for every individual who walks through his door.
When I walked into the house on October 11 for my first house show at 1234, Evan was on the floor helping his musical guests finish setting up their sound system.
The open-scaled living room, with sky-blue walls and a crawling-vine mural, was transformed from a cozy sitting room into an intimate music venue.
When Cedar and I walked through the door, Evan welcomed us with a “welcome home!“ and he couldn’t have been more right.
1234 House was our falling point when we landed in Portland. After a month of sleeping in a tent, 1234 offered us more than just a bed—it became the place that we could run back to after our first ventures into our new lives in Portland.
The house quickly became a home base for Cedar and me, and walking back in felt like coming home.
When we first entered, the room was dominated by men in tiny beanies, boots, and those perfectly tapered pants that somehow men make look effortless.
The crowd was arriving in layers, and we just brought the second one: newbies.
The third layer arrived in children. Within minutes, the room went from quiet adults awaiting music to kids dominating the downstairs.
I basked in the way the children were absorbed into the environment. With his own son enjoying the music, Evan welcomed the kids enthusiastically.
Early on, it was clear to me that I was entering a deep community that sprouted from the 1234 House. Knowing that these people probably met when kids weren’t on their radar, I liked that the kids now are just as much a part of the show as anyone else.
The Music at 1234 House
There were four bands and musicians set up to perform at 1234 that Saturday.
The day started with Adam Persinger, according to Evan, who is one of the first performers 1234 house had seen. Like many of the other musicians I’d meet that day, Adam was playing in 1234 back when the walls were bare and the floor was wood.
His voice was perfect for the first layer of guests. He was the welcoming force as the house started to fill up. His soothing guitar playing and raw crooning didn’t feel imposing as we tried to find the best spot to settle and listen.
The second band, New Meditator—made up of Johnny Walsh, Mark Walsh, and Thomas Burke—had similar stories of bare walls.
Johnny Wash lived at the 1234 House when “it was called the Skeleton House. There were no walls and rusty nails sticking out of everywhere.“
Walsh planned to only stay for a couple of months, a common pattern for people at 1234, and ended up staying for four years.
He spent those four years writing music and producing a whole album from the confines of his ground-floor room.
Listening to New Meditator felt like my Spotify Daylist switched from singer songerwriter satruday afternoon to celestrial jazz ambiance mood without any warning.
This change in mood illustrated the beauty of 1234 because the house encompasses everything and everyone. There is never one correct vibe in the house, and the diversity between the first two performances proved this.
New Meditator performed an instrumental performance with only a guitar, bass, and drums. The lack of lyrics was made up for by the technical and unique sound of the band.
In between sets, I moved around the house, listening to conversations and joining some of my own. So new to Portland, I don’t know much about the city or people in it, and being in 1234 was stepping into a new community of people I hadn’t met yet.
Adria Ivan and her band performed third, bringing another atmospheric shift to the room. Adria’s performance brought classic into 1234 with a strong performance.
The performances kept me on my toes.
Throughout the afternoon, I’d been staring and watching every person who entered the 1234 House. Staring problem aside, I wanted to know who was in the crowd and why they were there.
Unbeknownst to me, I’d been watching most of the musicians in the last band throughout the whole day. So when the final band, Sawtooth, crossed the threshold to where the bands performed, I felt like I’d connected a puzzle.
Sawtooth had the garage grunge sound I usually look for in a band. Lead singer Stevie Smith gave an authentic performance with jokes littered between songs. I love live music and I love funny people, and Stevie was both.
Watching these performances felt like an amusement ride that pulls you through different rooms, offering a brief taste of each. The musicians pulled me through genres, all connected by one thing: a history with 1234 House.
Stories from 1234 House
My favorite part of living at 1234 House was how, when I walked through the front door, I could walk into anything.
About one week into my stay, Evan asked me to start babysitting for his son Remí. As someone who loves babies and was unemployed at the time, I said yes.
I watched Remi at the 1234 House while Evan worked on a project in the basement.
I was with Remi for about four hours, and I think he cried for three of them. His insanely beautiful blue eyes and cute face made up for the tears.
I was rocking him in the front room when Cedar and her ex-girlfriend walked into the house. Minutes later, our two roommates and their dog walked into the house.
Now picture a frazzled me with a screaming five-month-old, Cedar and her newly broken up with ex-girlfriend, our two roommates, and their barking dog, Butters, all in the living room as a new renter walks into the house.
My Final Thoughts
1234 House creates a modge podge of people that would never meet otherwise. When you walk through that front door, you’re transported into a place where it’s normal to eat dinner with someone you met three days ago.
Moving to an unfamiliar city, Cedar and I needed a place that felt like home the minute you walked inside, and 1234 House is that.
Evan created a warm and welcoming place and continues to do that with shows like this one.
Afterthoughts
Thanks for reading another blog! I’ve been in Portland for almost four months now, and I’m starting to feel like my head is somewhat straight. Blogging has been on the back burner, and I’m happy that this post is my first blog back.
Keep an eye out for more posts! Thanks for reading bbs. Love you x
