I'm writing this review so that other folks are alerted to the fact that this venue is not great on accessibility. There are a few "accessible" seats at the back of the house on a venue where everyone is standing. So, you get a view of everyone's backside. And if that wasn't insult enough there's injury as well. Literally. There was no barrier insulating the accessible seating and people were continually tripping over my partner. I ended up standing to prevent people from injuring them. We were told that the box office was supposed to tell us to come an hour before the show started to get a seat at the front of the house. Really?! read more

The Red Room @ Cafe 939 - The view from the accessible seating - Music Venues Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

Really nice venue for live music, with good sound system and an array of high-quality internationally renowned acts. Affiliated with Berklee College of Music. read more

Classic and historical, a small venue for live music performances where I saw Rebecca Loebe, a folk singer who competed on The Voice with Adam Levine's team. The stage itself is relatively small and intimate so if an artist is new, this would be a great place to see them perform. A lot of students attend shows. read more

The Red Room @ Cafe 939 - Music Venues Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

The Red Room is a small intimate venue for live music performances. I've seen some of my favorite indie artists here including Sam Tsui, Cimorelli, and EMMARIE. The stage area is very small and the floor in front of the stage is general admission standing. There are a few seats along the wall, and space for artist merch tables in the back. However, the performer/band stage area is not raised and at the same level as the general admission floor. If you are a short person and not up front, you will have trouble seeing the performer(s) live if everyone is standing. I really prefer if everyone in front of the stage sit on the floor so everyone in attendance can actually see the performers. The acoustics here are fine. At each performance I've been to here, there was no food or drink service offered (the small cafe outside the door was closed each time). read more

When I came to see a show here, the MC greeted us with, "Welcome to the nicest, shiniest, cleanest room in town." Which is spot-on. The music venue portion (Cafe 939 may serve sandwiches, but essentially it's a glorified portal to a stage) is just a big red climate-controlled box. A music venue this sterile is normally really unsettling, but here it seems to match the baby-faced performers and their baby-faced friends in the audience. Both the big red box and the kids who perform inside will gain character as they mature. For the time being, the appeal of coming here for a show is that you're likely to see a talented young person. Plus you get the added bonus of feeling really old. Such fun!! read more

I am reviewing this as a place to hear music. I like the open atmopshere and the acoustics are fantastic to hear live music. It's an intimite setting and I will come back here everytime I am in town and I want to hear an new fresh artist. I have seen Jay Nash here 2x. read more

A nice venue to see some great artists play in Boston. My bro and I came to see David Choi the other night and it was awesome times =D Some seating rather than a central standing area would've been welcome, but the acoustics are very good and it was fantastic concert. And as the name implies, the room is indeed very red. read more

This review is only based on the concerts that I have been to. I have not eaten the food at this venue so I can't really comment on it. I have been here for two concerts. The first one was a double performance, featuring Landon Pigg and Erin McCarley accompanied by a live band. The second performance featured David Choi (www.davidchoimusic.com) solo with only an acoustic guitar. I thought all the performances were really good, and I also got an opportunity to talk and get some pictures with all three performers at the end of each show. This is a somewhat decent venue to watch a live concert. It has a small and intimate atmosphere unlike a large auditorium and it kind of feels like you are really close to the performance no matter how far you are. Seating is very limited. The only seats are located on the walls and the consist of leather sofas/chairs. There is a large open area, you can either stand or sit. For Landon Pigg/Erin McCarley, my friends and I stood, but for David Choi, we sat down and it was really uncomfortable on the legs, since it was so crowded. The sound quality was great, made the live performances enjoyable. This might not be a bad choice to check out some good independent music. You might be seeing a potential recording superstar. I'm giving this place four stars since all the performances I have been to at this place were surprisingly good and hopefully I can find another great concert at this venue. read more

The Red Room @ Cafe 939 - Crowd gathering for David Choi - February 22, 2010 - Music Venues Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See all

Great place to see some talented musicians. We went to see Charlie peacock and it was a pleasant experience! The cafe had great coffee and the room was rocking! read more

The Red Room @ Cafe 939 - Music Venues Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Went there last year to see Danny Wood of New Kids on the Block. He was doing a solo act and I really enjoyed the show. It was a pretty small venue with standing room only. The downside with this is that if you're stuck standing in the middle of the room like I was you won't get to see much. I did enjoy the show though and would go back if someone else who I like was to perform here in the future. read more

Small venue, very intimate, in a nice location, and is easy to get to. The floor is pretty flat, narrow, and long which really sucks if you're stuck in the back and are short. You really need to be up front or you won't be able to see at all. Unless you're sitting. And I don't want to be at any hippie jam band show where fans are sitting and not rocking out. There, I said it. read more

I came to see Priscilla Ahn play at cafe 939... and maybe my love for Priscilla rubbed off a little on 939.... but either way my friends and I had a good time here. The space is on the smallish end and is good for smallish concerts. I think the capacity is supposedly 200, but it definitely takes less people to make the room look full. The tables and couch are kind of randomly strewn about, but I was glad to be able to slouch down on a chair rather than stand for like 3 hours, and the crowd seemed to be young and Berklee-esque with handfuls of other people thrown in. I have no clue what the food or drinks are like (and oh yeah no alkies here), but I'll be back for future concerts read more

I came here for a Berklee performance, and it was lovely! I didn't have any of the food, but it seemed like a place for students and regular Bostonians alike. The venue was small and intimate--really nice! This was a cabaret of broadway tunes. The students were really talented and the show was free! A wonderful Boston gem. read more

I have to say, The Red Room hosts some really top notch acts, of a genre that I really love. Elizabeth and the Catapult, the Spring Standards. . . it's a clean venue where people aren't freaked out about sitting on the floor during an acoustic set. I haven't had a bad time here. I don't know much about the food, but what I've seen reminds me of college cafeteria fare: Edible but nothing special. Unfortunately, within the space, the vantage points on the stage are few and far between. You basically have to be standing in the front row to see anything (true at many concert venues, but this one is small enough that's really impossible to see anything once the room gets full). Acoustics aren't bad, there are a few couches for the extremely weary among you. . . The advantage of a non-alcohol infused space is that no one is there to use the music as background filler while they get buzzed and talk on their phones. People are pretty respectful of the acts on stage, even the openers. My chief complaint is this: Berklee students don't dance. They don't even toe-tap unless things REALLY get going. It's as though by moving their bodies, they might reveal that they secretly enjoy music, and therefore negate all the cred they have been building throughout their . Back in my day (which was about five minutes ago) if we liked a band, we would dance like idiots because it was FUN. Even if it was an acoustic folk set. Even if it was my friend playing bongos on the front porch. Cause seriously, guys, I bet nobody's pants are actually so tight that they can't shake it a little. read more

I didn't have the food. I went there for a concert. It's a perfect room for that. The sound levels, the intimacy, the cleanliness, and the lack of boozy pick-up activity make it perfect for catching an act. read more

I came here to find a place to do some homework, have a coffee and read. Everything was just OK. Food really wasn't that great actually. Not many vegetarian options. I'd have to come back when there's some live music playing. They use paper plates and cups for customers who stay. read more

For lunch they now serve freshly made sushi, dumplings, ramen and other fare. It gets crowded, and they seem to be working a lot of kinks out (i.e. I had to wait a long time to get change while a line formed, then the guy behind me wanted water, which they didn't have). The food is good though -- the shrimp dumplings are delish. read more

Literally the worst venue I have ever been to. The stage is not just small, its also about a foot off the floor so unless you're in the front row you more or less can't see anything. I am 5'10" and the opening act was 6'5" and I legit couldn't see him. When the headliner performed I was able to snap one photo. This place might be ok for assigned seating where everyone stays seated but for GA shows I don't think I would ever go back. OH and they don't serve beer...UGH. read more

I have to agree with Lisa's assessment of the BLT: though it wasn't the worst BLT I have ever had, it was a little weird. The tomatoes didn't seem up to par, the bacon, while good, was overwhelming, and the toasted wheat bread wasn't that great. I think I was kind of expecting mayo, but if it was in there, it was nonexistant (if it's not in there, that's fine, but if it is, I couldn't taste it). On the plus sides, the Cafe is relatively affordable: that BLT (with chips and a soda) was $6. Not too shabby considering the options in the general area around Boylston. And it seems like a nice place to see a show. So I'd be willing to try the other options again, but I wasn't a big fan of the BLT. read more

We recently attended a concert in the Red Room. Livingston Taylor (whom, it turns out, teaches at Berklee) and 4 other performers who are students, gave a concert. It was a very enjoyable evening. Unfortunately, Liv Taylor was not at his best until the last song - which was great. I think he didn't want to out-perform the students, who BTW, were terrific. It was done in a round-robin style. Each performer played/sang 4 songs, each one taking turns around the circle, including Liv Taylor. The quality was good enough to keep our attention for the 1.5 hours or so we were there. But still, I was disappointed that Mr. Taylor did not strut his stuff more. Oh, did I say it was a free concert? It was. So we got lots more than we paid for. The venue is small, informal, cozy, folksy. It was like going to a diner and having a surprisingly good meal. But it was still a diner. Oh, by the way, the Cactus Club across the hall makes some mean margaritas! read more

I was thrilled when I found out that the newly named "Red Room" at Cafe 939 was voted one of the 4 best newcomer bars/clubs in Boston. It is one of my new favorite spots to see a show in Boston. The atmosphere is intimate and makes you feel like it is just you and the artist or band. I recently saw Toby Lightman, Lucy Woodward and Rachel Platten there early in October and the show was amazing! All three artist put on great performances and since The Red Room is more of a listening venue, you could feel a great connection with the artists because they were talking and performing to you without any distractions. I'll definitely be seeing more shows there and voting for them this fall! Visit www.weeklydig.com/digthis08 to vote for Cafe 939 in the 2008 DigThisAwards! read more

See all

Reviewing as a music venue. Terrible experience here. None of the staff had any idea what was going on or where people should line up. It's like they had never heard of will-call before. Because of the lack of line, despite the fact that I got there 3 hours early for a highly-anticipated show, a ton of people who only showed up as the doors opened got through ahead of me. The doors also opened a half hour late. The concert was standing only, which stinks for me since I'm short. I had been near the front of the stage at the beginning, but the crowded pulled me back to the middle of the froom throughout the show and I couldn't see anything. Not wasting my money on another concert at this venue. read more

Like a ruby, the Red Room is an underappreciated gem. Run by the Berklee School of Music's students this venue is made for musicians. It is small and has a capacity of not very many (I have no idea what it officially is), but it is made for intimate shows. Want to get to know an artist and feel their emotions strictly through music? This is the place do it. The show I was most recently at (Ryan Star, Lion of Ido, and Matt Duke) suited this venue so well. Even with just around 60 people present, everything was very efficiently run. One is easily drawn to the stage as the lighting keeps you from the distractions that surround you and focused on the artist, who performs on a low stage. The sound resonates beautifully throughout the venue but can be quiet at times so if you must hold a conversation during the performance, TAKE IT OUTSIDE. If you don't, staff will ask you to do so. It was so refreshing to have the chatter boxes be asked to just step out for the sake of the artist on stage. There is a beautiful baby grand piano as part of the house set up. While I am biased as it allowed me to hear one of my all time favorite songs, it is in tune and a wonderful piece to have as part of the normal set up. A range of artists perform here, from solo acoustic acts (Matt Duke) to major label artists about to make their big break (Ryan Star) to big local names (how did I miss TREOS here?!) to Berklee students and all for extremely low ticket prices. Door service is a little awkward but since I think Berklee kids may still be getting used to interacting with people with a bit more perk to their lives, like me, it's fine. Everyone is friendly. In short, just check out The Red Room. Get to know some new artists to hear and feel what they have to say before everyone else does. read more

A real cool classy venue. I have seen quite a few shows here. Sometimes they have chairs out for a more intimate setting and other times its all standing. Either way its a great way to see and hear a show. Recently I had the chance to play here and I had a ball. The sound techs are Berklee students and they really know what they are doing. The sound was great and they made us feel really comfortable. The green room is small but nice with large comfy couches. They staff also had food prepared for us. Wether your coming here to see/ listen to a show or to play one you are going to have a great time. read more

Went here last night for an open mic jazz show. Not bad, amigos, not bad! You get the good with the bad on any amateur night, but for a free show who cares. The back room is packed full of tables and there are some comfy couches lining the walls. I was expecting there to be servers coming thru guilting me into buying food or drinks, but nobody ever did. You could go in the other side of the cafe if you wanted anything and bring it back over, but since I went without an appetite I was pleasantly left to just sit back and chill. Fun crowd, good music, and did I mention FREE? Awesome. read more

I was pretty excited to see Cafe 939 open today. It's always nice to have another cafe to chill at and escape the apt/cave. Cafe 939 has a great interior but is smaller than it looks from the outside- it looks like the music area is only open when they have live music. The menu is simple and prices are budget-friendly. My large chai was $3 and panini under $6. The food and atmosphere still has the feel of a dining services operation. Sterile and clean. The staff was friendly, but my chai was only warm. More on the interior. It's not crowded yet, but they should stuff more tables into this place. I think there were only 8 tables. I love the old Berklee photos all along the walls. The backroom makes a cozy place to get some work done, with nice molding, wall benches, windows and faux fireplace. Front looks nice too. Modern furniture. Volume and music selection were a little off. Berklee radio? Their hours are a little funny but maybe geared towards their music schedule. They close at 9pm on Sun-Tue, and at 11pm Wed-Sat. Open at 9:30am weekdays, 10:30am weekends. Could change. With time, Cafe 939 could build some character, but its affiliation with an institution, even if its Berklee, will probably mean it'll lack the feel of Espresso Royale or The Other Side Cafe. But that's not the goal. Cafe 939 lands in as a good coffeehouse to hang with friends at, read at, and maybe even as a decent all ages spot to catch some talented acts. Still needs more seating. read more

I went to my first show here recently and I was impressed with the lighting and scenery. The acoustics were on point and spectacular and the crowd was very chill and low-key. Only down side is, if you are standing in the back the visibility of the performers is little to none. You'd would have to be up front to get up close. I'd definitely recommend that the stage could be improved for viewing purposes to folks in the back. This will make the show a much more pleasing event for everybody attending. I feel bad for the shorter people trying to find an angle where they can see the performers. Over all, the location is spot on, clean and the acoustics rock, watching the performers is a PITA. read more

Are you kidding me? The stage is so low that only 6 people actually get to see the musicians. Standing room only and yet you can't see anything. Sound was supposed to be awesome but it wasn't. This is associated with Berklee? Seriously? They should be ashamed. Stay home and listen to the album, you'll have a between experience. read more

Man, where to begin? Some of the Cafe staff members were short with us (they were just about to go off-shift, apparently), while others were awesome. The prices are a bit high, but not too bad for the quality of the products. The Red Room itself is tiny. The only seating is two couches on either side of the space -- something that was supposedly clear on the website but I guess I'd missed or forgotten. My mom had just thrown her back out, so thank goodness the venue manager was understanding and saved her a seat on the couch (THANK YOU!). The acoustics were okay; my ears are still ringing the night after the show. One bite of their chocolate chunk cookies and all was forgiven -- they were divine. read more

It is a very small venue but that is the point of this place. It's meant to be cozy and intimate and for what I saw--a one woman show---it was perfect. However, it was about 30 degrees tonight and it was absolutely freezing in here!!! Get some heat! read more

Good sandwiches at a fair price. The staff is Berkley chill. And free live music with lunch, how can you beat it? The only thing is there is not a lot of room. I used a trashcan for a table but thems the breaks sometimes. If your in the area at lunch time I highly recommend checking this place out. I might just be their next regular. read more

I've been here several times to check out up-and-coming artists who come here to perform. Mostly a Berkley hangout by the looks, but it's all good. I have yet to try the Cafe -they're always closed or closing by the time I get there. I'm still unclear what their hours are. But it's a small intimate place where you never know if you'll be invited on the stage to play with the band. read more

I work next door, so I am in this place a lot. The staff is always very friendly, sometimes a little slow, but I am sure they are college kids on work study or something, so I feel this can be overlooked. I love their improvisation sandwich option, there is no limit to the amount of things you can choose to put on your sandwich and the sandwiches are HUGE. I can only eat half at a time. I don't drink coffee but I do love their smoothies. The non-fat ones are actually better than the regular - they are too sweet for my taste. Haven't been for the music or eaten there, but there are very few great sandwich places in Boston, so being next door to one definitely comes in handy. read more

This venue is ok. The sound system is good and the atmosphere is nice. Also, there isn't a big food and drink selection, but I don't care because it's one of the only Ticketmaster-affiliated venues where they don't charge you an arm and a leg for a bottle of water. The only downside to it is that when it gets crowded, it's really hard for short people like me to see the stage, so I suggest if you share this height deficiency, get there early and get a spot up front. read more

I came here last week for a Nintendo DSi gathering. I had heard of this great new place near Berkeley and wanted to check it out. There's a cafe and sandwich shop in the front part that has amazing egg sandwiches. They use egg beaters and the size and price is great! In the back is the actual venue hall. It's a quaint little intimate room with state of the art equipment and amazing acoustics. I met Shawn, the assistant manager on the venue side and he was really cool and knew his music. For seeing a show I would totally recommend 939 cafe. On the food and coffee side, it's pretty standard. bagels and egg sandwiches during AM hours and salads during lunch. Also have smoothies and of course standard coffee choices What separates the 939 cafe in my opinion is the staff. For the most part it's Berkeley students that run and operate it. Very down to earth and friendly. read more

Pretty small room but great set up. This is the first show i have seen here of its kind and was a great time. This joint is kept super clean and doesn't cost an arm and a leg like much of the rest of the city. Saw the band Eisely here which was pretty cool. I would come back for another show in a heartbeat. read more

I came here to see Matt Hales from Aqualung a couple weeks ago, and it was an absolutely fantastic experience. I got there early enough to get a spot right at the front of the stage. It was magical. I didn't try any food, a so I don't have much to say about that, but the actual venue is really clean, really intimate, and just really nice. (Only downside, if you're not there early enough to be near the front, it's probably going to be hard to see the stage since it's kind of low). read more

Went here for the first time Saturday night to see Andrew Ripp. This place is run by Berklee School of Music but is a hidden gem for music lovers, sort of has that coffee shop vibe. (Same entrance as Cactus Club) I'm not a musican by any means but I love music and a good time and this place "performed" on all levels ;) The show was standing only, probably about 50 people there which made it pretty intimate. Small theater vibe with big stage sound made for a really great show. The crowd was all ages from 18-50 but majority was in their 20's. I'd be interested to check out other performers here for sure. read more

Definitely an outstanding, dynamic, warm and friendly venue. Great ALL AGES venue. I've seen a few shows including an awesome Poetry Slam event that was off the chain! Will definitely be heading back. Ya'll got some great shows coming up too! Keep rocking and preserving the sanctity of the performing arts!!! read more

cool little place to watch a band. i was there last friday to see "Cage the Elephant" and they rocked the house (check them out)! good sound and the a/c was blasting to keep it cool inside. one draw back is they don't serve booze, but you can get a soda/water for under $2. read more