The Back Room

The Back Room The Back Room is an intimate listening room for (mostly) acoustic music of all genres. We are an all-ages, BYOB (21+) space. Thanks! Sam Rudin
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Booking info: https://backroommusic.com/booking/

Calendar: https://collections.humanitix.com/the-back-room-calendar Do you love music that falls on the quieter side of the musical spectrum? Are you looking for a small, beautiful space with great acoustics and comfortable seating that presents live music with respect and appreciation? Then The Back Room is the place for you.

• The Back Room is no

t a place for food. Oh, we have packaged snacks available, but nothing that needs to be heated, sliced, or served.

• The Back Room is not a place for drinks. Of course we offer water and soft drinks for sale, and adults are welcome to bring their own adult beverages - we'll even supply the glasses. But we can't sell any alcohol, and we don't really want to.

• The Back Room IS a place with comfortable upholstered furniture and a singular focus on the music. Seating, as it happens, is very important to us, because we want the folks here to be completely relaxed, and happy, and ready to listen.

• The Back Room IS, as the logo says, an intimate place for music. Our hours and days of operation are flexible, so please visit our Events page to see our current schedule: www.backroommusic.com/events/. To learn more about The Back Room, please visit us at www.backroommusic.com.

Join us on Fri, May 29, 8pm for Kaimera | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/kaimeraKaimera is a thoughtfully crafted...
05/29/2026

Join us on Fri, May 29, 8pm for Kaimera | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/kaimera

Kaimera is a thoughtfully crafted ensemble, led by Ryan Feldthouse on oud and violin and Jesse Torre on flamenco guitar.

Their music is a fusion of Balkan, Flamenco, Greek, and Turkish influences, creating a layered and beautiful soundscape. With a balance of precision and spontaneity, Kaimera offers an immersive musical experience—perfect for special events, where their performance invites the audience to listen closely and connect.

Join us on Tue, May 26, 8pm for Rick Dougherty & Don Burnham | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/rick-dougherty-and-...
05/26/2026

Join us on Tue, May 26, 8pm for Rick Dougherty & Don Burnham | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/rick-dougherty-and-don-burnham

Rick Dougherty (Limeliters, Kingston Trio, Folk Legacy Trio)

Don Burnham (The Bolos, New Century Jazz Band, Lost Weekend Western Swing Band)

Rick and Don have been close friends for over fifty years, slinging their guitars, writing songs, and singing for audiences worldwide. The two veteran songsters join up for an old-style troubadour evening, on the eve of Don’s departure for Wellington, New Zealand where he’s been granted residency.

Join us on Sun, May 24, 2pm for Souls On Board - Aaron Germain, Brian Fishler, David White | Tickets: https://events.hum...
05/24/2026

Join us on Sun, May 24, 2pm for Souls On Board - Aaron Germain, Brian Fishler, David White | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/souls-on-board-aaron-germain-brian-fishler-david-white

Take elements of rock, funk, Latin, and Americana, add in lush chord-melody and harmonized guitar arrangements, and marry that with world-class, post-bop musicianship improvising over interesting odd-meter grooves, and you’ll begin to approach what Souls on Board is all about: fusion jazz that evokes bands like Bass Desires, Return to Forever, or Snarky Puppy... and yet like those bands takes genre blending in its own signature direction.

David White been pushing jazz boundaries since he first came on the scene in New York City and Boston in the 1990s. The product has only gotten more refined and interesting since.

This collaboration with renown Bay Area bassist Aaron Germain, likened by reviewers as a “post-Jaco, post- Patitucci burner” and the power grooves of the prolific, in-demand drummer Brian Fishler, the energy and creativity of this trio is not to be missed.

Truly the essence of 21st century jazz.

Join us on Sat, May 23, 8pm for David Byrd & Byrds of a Feather | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/david-byrd-and-b...
05/23/2026

Join us on Sat, May 23, 8pm for David Byrd & Byrds of a Feather | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/david-byrd-and-byrds-of-a-feather

JazzReggae sensations Byrds of a Feather brings their dynamic quintet to The Back Room to celebrate their new release Vampire President.

Join us for the epitome of JazzReggae in the Bay!
David Byrd on alto sax and vocals
Eli Goldlink on keys and vocals
Toho Saunders on bass and vocals
Jordan “J Bird” Davis on drums
Carlos Caminos on guitar
A Must See for the Bay Area Massive!

Join us on Sat, May 23, 2pm for Quarter Tone Poets | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/quarter-tone-poetsQuarter Ton...
05/23/2026

Join us on Sat, May 23, 2pm for Quarter Tone Poets | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/quarter-tone-poets

Quarter Tone Poets is a multidisciplinary project exploring the deep relationship between language, music, and cultural memory. Rooted in Western Armenian literary traditions and enriched by the tonal depth of Middle Eastern music, the program brings poetry into conversation with live sound—particularly the expressive voice of the oud. Each performance creates an immersive environment where spoken word, melody, and improvisation merge, inviting audiences to experience poetry as a living, breathing sonic form.

This special event is presented in partnership with Mother Armenia, a local cultural producer dedicated to uplifting Armenian and cross-cultural artistic expression. The afternoon features live oud performances by Palestinian musician Clarissa Bitar and musician/poet Raffi Joe Wartanian, alongside a short lecture on poetry by Hrayr Varaz.

Blending performance and participation, the program also includes a poetry workshop set to live oud accompaniment, offering audiences a chance to engage directly with the creative process. Together, these elements form a unique, reflective experience that bridges cultures, disciplines, and traditions—highlighting the power of art to connect communities across histories and geographies.

Join us on Wed, May 20, 7:30pm for Guitar Trifecta | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/guitar-trifectaGuitar Trifect...
05/20/2026

Join us on Wed, May 20, 7:30pm for Guitar Trifecta | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/guitar-trifecta

Guitar Trifecta—featuring Carl Lockett, Lloyd Gregory, and Eddie Pasternak—weaves a lush blend of jazz, pop, and groove into a sound that feels both intimate and expansive. With fluid interplay, expressive tone, and memorable melodies, the trio brings a refined yet accessible approach to live guitar music.

Join us on Tue, May 19, 7pm for Veretski Pass and the Gaskin-Boden duo | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/veretski-...
05/19/2026

Join us on Tue, May 19, 7pm for Veretski Pass and the Gaskin-Boden duo | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/veretski-pass-and-the-gaskin-boden-duo

Enjoy a very special evening of klezmer music, featuring some of the leading musicians on the global klezmer scene today. This concert breathes new life into old music: both groups represent a continuity of the long lineage of Eastern European Jewish folk music, and the concert reflects a gradual passing of the torch from the stalwarts of Veretski Pass to the upstarts of the Gaskin-Boden duo. Klezmer music is a product of diasporic Jewish culture, a creation of many generations of melding between Jews and their surroundings, both in Eastern Europe and here in the US.

The Gaskin-Boden duo (Dmitri Gaskin, accordion, and Raffi Boden, cello) presents an original vision of klezmer music within the stripped down instrumentation of cello and accordion. Their unique approach and creative arrangements blur the lines between melody and accompaniment, seamlessly weaving together old country shtetl fiddle repertoire, Yiddish song, and the classic New York klezmer sound. Boden and Gaskin draw melodies from historical archives as well as present their own original compositions.

In a true collage of Carpathian, Jewish, Romanian and Ottoman styles, typical suites contain dances from Moldavia and Bessarabia; Jewish melodies from Poland and Rumania; Hutzul wedding music from Carpathian-Ruthenia; and haunting Rebetic aires from Smyrna, seamlessly integrated with original compositions. Their CDs have repeatedly been on the 10-best recording lists of journalists since 2002.

This concert is co-presented by KlezCalifornia.

Join us on Sun, May 17, 7pm for Kommuna Lux | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/kommuna-lux “In Odesa, people find t...
05/17/2026

Join us on Sun, May 17, 7pm for Kommuna Lux | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/kommuna-lux

“In Odesa, people find togetherness. In Odesa, all will laugh and sing." Ukraine’s Kommuna Lux validates these words from an old poem, performing their own style called "Odesa Gangsta Folk," a mix of thrilling klezmer music and common gangster folk songs from their hometown, all with a dose of rocket fuel.

Odesites have always been known for their great tolerance, easy-going lifestyle, and very special sense of humor. This multicultural port city is world-famous for its significant Jewish culture and for being the birthplace of the Urban Chanson genre. The streets are rich with nostalgia and a bohemian Black Sea coastal vibe. These are set to a timeless new level by the vibrant performances of the lovely singer Bagrat Tsurkan and his charming musicians. Kommuna Lux plays joyful songs and melodies from Odesa and all Eastern Europe in spiced up arrangements.

Join us on Sun, May 17, 3pm for Blues & Jazz Singers Jam Session with Sam Rudin & Pamela Rose | Tickets: https://events....
05/17/2026

Join us on Sun, May 17, 3pm for Blues & Jazz Singers Jam Session with Sam Rudin & Pamela Rose | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/blues-and-jazz-singers-jam-session-may2026

Blues & Jazz Singer's Jam Session - We bring the band, you be the star!

Hosted by Sam Rudin and Pamela Rose.

Come sing or just cheer them on, as vocalists take the stage in this incredibly supportive and creative environment. All levels welcome.

Singers can bring in either a simple chart in their key, or a blues or jazz standard to sing.

Bonus! In addition to the songs that feature our guest vocalists, this all-star band will also take the opportunity to do several tunes of their own.

And in case you don't recognize the names of these musicians, please be assured that they are among the finest players that NorCal has to offer. So, not only will you be hearing and seeing your friends and neighbors take their turn in the spotlight, you will also be seeing top-notch professionals doing what they do best!

Address

1984 Bonita Avenue
Berkeley, CA
94704

Telephone

+15106543808

Website

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