Be Sweet to Portland: Violet Grohl Takes the Star Theater
Violet Grohl packed Star Theater in Portland on October 23 for a stop on her Be Sweet To Me Tour, delivering an intimate show that felt especially electric inside the venue’s close quarters. Words and photos by Jenny Shackleton.
The room was packed wall to wall, with the sold-out-feeling crowd stretching across a surprisingly diverse range of ages. Younger fans crowded toward the stage alongside older concertgoers, creating a multigenerational audience that seemed equally curious to see what Grohl was building on her own. By the time she stepped onstage wearing a black dress and studded ballet flats, there was very little breathing room left in the room.
The performance quickly made a case for Grohl as an artist with an identity that reaches beyond her famous last name. Pulling heavily from her debut album, Be Sweet to Me, she moved through songs including “Stimulant Breakfast,” “Cool Buzz,” “THUM,” and “Last Day I Loved You.” There was a looseness to the set that worked well in a venue the size of Star Theater, allowing the songs to feel immediate rather than overly polished. Her presence shifted between understated and commanding, and even in quieter moments, the tightly packed audience stayed locked in.
As the night continued, songs like “Pool Of My Dreams,” “Big Memory,” “Bug In The Cake,” and “Swallowtail” showed just how much range exists within Grohl’s growing catalog, giving the Portland crowd a substantial introduction to her music. What stood out just as much as the songs themselves was the audience receiving them. Instead of one obvious demographic dominating the room, the crowd felt like a genuine cross-section of generations sharing the same excitement around an artist still at the beginning of her career.
By the end of the night, Grohl had turned a packed Star Theater into something that felt closer to a sweaty club show than a carefully staged introduction. The Portland date came only a few stops into the Be Sweet To Me Tour, between Vancouver and Seattle, making the evening feel like a chance to catch her while the rooms are still small enough to see every expression from the stage. With an individual sense of style, a distinct musical point of view, and a room full of listeners spanning generations, Grohl left Portland with the sense that next time around, getting this close might be a lot harder.
Jenny Shackleton (she/her) is a photographer based in Portland, OR, originally hailing from Philadelphia, PA. Her love for live music started over 15 years ago after seeing the Jonas Brothers perform on their Burning Up tour in 2008 and the rest is history. As a naturally shy person, it’s surprising she feels so comfortable at concerts with hundreds of people attending, but has always believed that they are special, somewhat liminal, spaces. Everyone is there for the same reason: to have the best night and see artists pour their souls’ onto the stage. That is what Jenny likes to capture in her photos. Jenny enjoys spending time outside with her partner and their dog, watching movies, and owning way too many sneakers.