Opened in 2016 by pianist Sam Rudin, the Back Room is a 100-capacity listening room in downtown Berkeley designed to recapture the living-room intimacy of the original Freight and Salvage. Comfortable upholstered seating, warm acoustics, and a strict focus on attentive listening create a setting where acoustic jazz, blues, folk, bluegrass, and Americana artists can connect directly with their audience. Rudin, known locally for his solo piano work and his band Hurricane Sam and the Hotshots, books both established touring musicians and emerging local talent. The all-ages venue operates as a deliberate antidote to noisy clubs, prioritizing the musical experience above all else.
Jazz (11)Blues (3)Alternative (3)Folk (3)Country (2)Rock (1)
Upcoming Shows
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Recent Shows
Shows from the last 90 days
Fri, May 29
world fusion
Kaimera
8:00 PM
Tue, May 26
folk
Rick Dougherty & Don Burnham
8:00 PM
Sun, May 24
Fusion Jazz
Souls On Board
2:00 PM
Sat, May 23
JazzReggae
David Byrd & Byrds of a Feather
8:00 PM
Sat, May 23
Poetry with Middle Eastern music
Quarter Tone Poets
2:00 PM
Wed, May 20
Jazz
Guitar Trifecta
7:30 PM
Tue, May 19
Klezmer
Veretski Pass + Gaskin-Boden duo
7:00 PM
Sun, May 17
Klezmer
Kommuna Lux
7:00 PM
Sun, May 17
Blues and Jazz
Sam Rudin + Pamela Rose
3:00 PM
Sat, May 16
Rock
Alex Carlin
8:00 PM
Fri, May 15
Jazz
Jae Truesdell
7:00 PM
Thu, May 14
Jazz
Ben Goldberg + Scott Amendola
8:00 PM
Sat, May 9
Western Swing
Don Burnham
8:00 PM
Fri, May 8
Big Band, Jazz
Brass Ackwards
8:00 PM
Sun, May 3
Jazz
Larry McDonough
7:00 PM
Sun, May 3
Jazz
Fred Randolph Quintet
3:00 PM
Sat, May 2
Acoustic Pop
The Good Talks
3:00 PM
Sat, May 2
Folk
The Heart Collectors
8:00 PM
Fri, May 1
Folk
Aleksi Campagne
8:00 PM
Tue, Apr 28
Indie Pop
Elizabeth and The Catapult + Mo Troper
7:00 PM
Sun, Apr 26
Jazz, Blues, R&B, Gospel, Funk, Latin, Hip-hop
The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol
5:00 PM
Sat, Apr 25
Jazz
Roberta Donnay & The Prohibition Mob
8:00 PM
Sat, Apr 25
Celtic, Folk
Golden Bough
3:00 PM
Fri, Apr 24
World Music
Nuovo Testamento
8:00 PM
Thu, Apr 23
Jazz
Sam Rudin Duo with Charles McNeal
8:00 PM
Sun, Apr 19
Bluegrass
Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band + Keith Little + Sam Rudin
3:00 PM
Sat, Apr 18
Blues
HowellDevine
8:00 PM
Fri, Apr 17
Latin
Bululú
8:00 PM
Thu, Apr 16
Acoustic, Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass, Folk, World Music
Scott Amendola + Bululú: A Night of Bubbles & Boleros + HowellDevine + Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band + Keith Little & Sam Rudin + Sam Rudin Duo with Charles McNeal + Mamadou Sidibe & Kele Nitoto + Golden Bough + Roberta Donnay & The Prohibition Mob
8:00 PM
Sun, Apr 12
blues jazz
Sam Rudin + Pamela Rose
3:00 PM