Just off the corner of Solano and San Pablo, not too far from the 80 freeway exit…read more At the tip of the epicenter of gastronomic delights-Solano Avenue in Albany. I was there the other night with my beer buddy and all around friend with the same first name as I (and that's another story!) for the tribute to the local beloved character that passed recently, Mr. Bailey Pendergrass. A longtime institution in the Berkeley music scene from way back in the day till present. An interesting, kind fellow who still walked around in skinny trousers and a leather jacket- even on very hot days. And a hairdo like no other! He kind of reminded me of a character from Rocky Horror Picture Show or someone who could be played by Johnny Depp in some hip artistic movie. A bit of an eccentric, soft-spoken, amazingly charming man. A joy to sit down and chat with who had strong opinions and a distrust for doctors and their prescribed medication's,etc. I don't go very far back other than six or seven years when I met him at a popular watering hole called the Cornerstone on Shattuck. He would invite me to hang out while he ate his standard hamburger and fries and wash it down with what I remember was cranberry juice. He could never finish the whole burger so he'd take half home but we need the fries first usually. We would talk about Minneapolis (where I'm from) and Prince of course, and he would share interesting stories. I'd keep him company until the music event would start where he had carte blanche, complementary entry with a plus one at the Cornerstone. I was his plus one and it was fun one night. I'll have to dig up the mixed CDs that he made for me that he presented in a recycled/repurposed "In-n-Out" bag, it was a nice touch. There was a little hand written note as well. The IVY ROOM put on a nice event and many showed up to pay their respect. Some were given a chance to get on the stage and recall memories. However, the crowd never stopped talking, so it was very hard to hear their praises, etc. The bartender was superb, but I'm sorry I didn't catch her name, very kind and approachable and humorous and of course, extremely efficient! It's a nice cozy room with a lot of history and an eclectic group of patrons. I chatted with a couple of extremely friendly kind people. However, I left before the music started as after a long day of work, I started to fade. Thank you Ivy Room for opening up your space to honor Mr. Bailey Pendergrass, and the wonderful people attending this event.

Ivy Room is happening Planet Booty is having Booty Camp for…read more4 nights Lani owner, is very wise

Awesome place to see awesome live music. Saw a couple of independent bands. I will be back when I'm…read morein the area

Love the venue! I volunteer frequently, and the other volunteers are wonderful! Show up an hour…read morebefore the first band to volunteer and get into the show free! (U still have to have a membership card to volunteer, but totally worth it!)

It's a down to earth, barn like music venue with a very small bar and amazing music!…read more Hard to find a place like this in a city!

I come for a weekly Bhangra class which I love. It's a get your body moving and the more you put…read morein the better your workout will be. The instructors, especially Andrea, is consistently welcoming. I also find her easier to follow because her pants are not override and it easier to see the leg movement. Viki, the lead instructor, is nice on email but when I try to talk to her in person, I find the interaction awkward. Maybe it's me but I see her interacting with others. Come! Great music, energy, joy and movement. A great way to spend an hour.

Point Richmond Acoustic runs on the 2nd Friday of the month, October to May. The first thing you…read morenotice is the room - it's a church, and its octagonal with a wooden prism ceiling. It's small, intimate and the sound is great. It's like seeing a show from the inside of a guitar. The place holds 99 people. Many of the artists - like Peter Rowan Band, Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum, Peter Case, etc - have played larger venues like the Freight and Salvage or Hardly Strictly Blue Grass. The prices are fair, the people friendly, they raffle of CDs and other stuff at the break, and the prices are very moderate. What a great place to see live music!

The church venue makes for wonderful listening and the music is AWESOME!read more

There is no bad seat at The Freight but this time I got front row , it's always general admission…read moreseating. This show was for Dave Alvin and Jimmy Dale Gilmore... two legends playing without their band for this show. Last time I saw them with their full band much closer to home at Felton Music Hall... also a great venue. Opening artist was guitarist Lenny Kaye from The Smiths and he was great too. Awesome audience as usual for The Freight. Get out and see live music, it's always a great time.

We saw Keola Beamer and Henry Kapono recently. It was our first visit to the Freight since they…read moremoved ever so long ago. This is truly a nice venue to see music. The staff is friendly; parking is convenient next door in the garage; plenty of restaurants nearby. There were also a few snack items and drinks available for sale. I was bummed that perhaps customer service and management aren't completely in synch with their own policies. I had written and asked if photography would be allowed since this was a Hawaiian show. I wanted to bring in one camera with an attached lens, no flash to take photos for personal use only. I was told that the policy was no photography was allowed. On the night of the show, the last announcement before the show started, was that non-flash photography was welcome. Oh well.

Point Richmond is the tiny little town that you pass when going from San Rafael to Berkeley, right…read morepast the bridge, about 1 minute off 580. And a cute little town it is, complete with its own FREE Summer Concert Series, held the 2nd Friday of each month, with a 2nd show added in September. They shut down Park Place, one of the three main streets that make up the downtown triangle. (It's like a town square, but smaller!) The quality of the music is generally excellent, with two bands each concert. The music varies from Jazz, RnB, to Latin, Zydeco and the occasional Americana act. This year that means some really cool bands like Taarka, Houston Jones, Tom Rigney and Flambeau, The Stairwell Sisters, LLoyd's Garage and and 5 more great bands. The first band goes on at 5:30 and the 2nd band goes on about 6:45. There are restaurants selling great food, and beer, artists with booths towards the back, and a raffle where all kinds of things are winnable. It's a super pleasant way to spend a Friday evening and hang out with friends. And if you live in the Point, or elsewhere in Richmond, its an essential place to catch up with your neighbors. And its free. What could be better than that. Try eating at either The Up And Under (pub), The Baltic (German food), Little China (cheap, good) or the Thai restaurant.

Great place to come eat a bite, drink a bear, and sing a karaoke song!…read more I came here with some friends on a week night. It was pretty empty and had two nice pool tables. There's a food guy in the back that serves Japanese food (pretty good!). The karaoke sound system is pretty janky but functional and the DJ is very nice.

This is about karaoke. Wednesdays at 9pm ther is karaoke in either the back-most room or front-left…read moreroom. I've been several times and it warms my heart. The crowd (sometimes small) is super sweet. Like most karaoke places, it's often (usually) pitchy and raucus (bring and wear earplugs to reduce the volume)), but every time there's warm comaraderie and support and friendliness among the people cheering each other on. It's like attending a Little League match in the best way. (I also like Dana's monthly-ish karaoke at 924 Gilman. which tends to have more of a punk, angry-rock and death metal vibe.

Once known for good beer selection and entertainment, it is still all that but also with solid pub…read morefood. The entertainment and community feel of the place is the #1 highlight. Open mic night gives young people a voice. Older musicians act as unofficial mentors - the best advice from one was to 'make me feel something!!' I love the art scene - and to me there is a special intersection of utility (maybe articulating an important message - or building a useful couch) --- and the beauty of that piece. How you put it together, how it looks and most importantly how it makes you feel when you sink into the couch or words. I have a lot of opinions and a lot to say. These days you really can't complain much - in the world you are a nag and in church you are labeled a legalist. The secret is if you say those things in a beautiful way or tip toe around a subject asking questions and letting the audience come up with their own conclusions. The young people today I have lots of sympathy for. The 50 year olds could get away with earning $50k/yr - the 40 year olds could get away with earning $100k/yr but the 20 and 30 year olds in the bay area with 2 kids need to earn $200k in their household to make ends meet. Gentrification is the enemy - those who are 'rich.' Lets blame the boomers. Maybe there are some other 'enemies' of the unaffordable nature of the bay area. A witch hunt aiming at tech workers or the unhoused or maybe today AI robots. My brother pays $4000/month for babysitting. I think his house tax is another $1000/month and we aren't even talking about the mortgage yet.... In San Francisco a family of 4 can qualify for free babysitting if they earn $178,300 or less per year. Maybe you can't call this the poverty level - but you qualify for everything including housing assistance. I'm sorry no beautiful poetry for you today. No lit slam. No soup for you!! I will continue building my couches - you take the stage!!

Starry Plough....Oh wow! This is really a cool scene…read more There's a different event seven nights a week. Today the day after July 4 celebration is sort of an Irish music session in the place is packed at 5:45 PM! Great musicians and a fun atmosphere, but it seems like the same continuous song plays between breaks with a slight adjustment of the melody. Sort of a hypnotic repetitive groove, not so unlike "ON THE CORNER" by Miles Davis but not really, ha ha! OK kids, please plug that into your little machine and have a listen. Feel that groove in "BLACK SATIN" The Starry Plough is a full service restaurant, pub and nightclub that has been a staple of the East Bay scene since 1973. With deep roots as an Irish Revolutionary watering hole, the history of protest runs as deep today as it did when they opened five decades ago. And they have really good food and a great tap beer list. Also, the very best bartenders and staff throughout! I just had a half order of the handcut french fries and they really are top-notch man, they're served with different condiments that you can help yourself to. I chose the Sriracha sauce and ketchup. I couldn't find the horseradish tonight. I've been coming in here for several years and I really dig it. Very special people hang out here, kind of a hippie Berkeley vibe. I've had great long conversations and met very groovy folks. It's a great watering hole.