|
|
User Rating: (Rate It!)
My Suitcase: (Add to My Suitcase)
BERKELEY. For over 30 years, the multiple-award-winning Ashkenaz has built a solid reputation for providing quality entertainment to a diverse multicultural crowd. Live music ranges from African to zydeco, bluegrass to reggae, Brazilian to swing. Dance lessons are often available right before the shows, too, adding a fun element of participation not found in most performance venues. A full schedule of classes is available during the day (belly dancing, hip hop, flamenco, Hungarian folk dance, etc), including some especially for kids. Kids, in fact, are always welcome, at every single show. And if they're under 12, they get in free! The café is open during performances, and serves mostly vegetarian fare, snacks, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages.
User Rating: (Rate It!)
My Suitcase: (Add to My Suitcase)
DOWNTOWN BERKELEY. This fun Irish pub is so convincing that you may forget you're in California. Virtually every surface is dark wood, and the inviting fireplace is original to the 1925 building. Portraits of Irish writers vie for wall space, and antique light fixtures cast a warm glow. At both of the mahogany bars you'll find a good assortment of Irish whiskey and scotch, plus 11 taps providing the requisite Guinness, Harp, and Murphy's. The menu is a well-balanced mix of traditional Irish and contemporary American. Live music Wednesday through Saturday at 10pm.
User Rating: (Rate It!)
My Suitcase: (Add to My Suitcase)
TELEGRAPH AVENUE. Blake's started in 1940 as a neighborhood bar and restaurant. Over the years, it morphed into a jazz and blues club, booking musicians such as Robert Cray, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Lowell Fulson, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. Then in 1993, Blake's decided to mix things up a bit. They tweaked the name, and started expanding their offerings to include modern rock, punk, ska, and funk. Blake's has always had a good ear and a knack for identifying future big name acts, so you never know who you'll see – before they got record contracts, Cake, Third Eye Blind, and Train played here.
User Rating: (Rate It!)
My Suitcase: (Add to My Suitcase)
DOWNTOWN BERKELEY. If you're looking for a sterling pedigree, Downtown certainly has it, thanks to co-founders who cut their teeth at two of the Bay Area's most hallowed institutions: Chez Panisse and Bay Wolf. The space itself impresses with its sharp angles, earth-toned walls, and large windows that seem to open the entire seating area to Shattuck Avenue. Fresh fish and seafood dominate the menu, and many dishes reveal distinct Mediterranean influences. Once the sun sets, Downtown assumes a hipper mood with the help of a solid weekly lineup of jazz and blues performers.
User Rating: (Rate It!)
My Suitcase: (Add to My Suitcase)
Formerly a non-profit arts organization operated by the Berkeley Society for the Preservation of Traditional Music, Freight & Salvage, this coffee house has a colorful history of fostering folk music from all over the world. Previous performers include Mike Seeger, Odetta, Asleep at the Wheel, Dar Williams, and the South Austin Jug Band. The simple menu of baked goods, sandwiches, coffee and tea will appeal to virtually everyone. A must-visit for music lovers of any age.
User Rating: (Rate It!)
My Suitcase: (Add to My Suitcase)
DOWNTOWN BERKELEY. Marked by hardwood floors, two full bars, and comfortable couches and booths, this converted basement space proves to be ideal for both live performances and DJ led dance parties. Yards of fabric drape doorways and walls, while colorful lighting creates dramatic effects – the end result is both elegant and contemporary. Music ranges across genres, from funk, soul, and hip hop to salsa, rock, and reggae. A favorite that frequently turns up in the "Best of..." polls in the local media.
|
Starry Plough
3101 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705 · 510-841-0188
|
User Rating: (Rate It!)
My Suitcase: (Add to My Suitcase)
DOWNTOWN BERKELEY. Irish music and dance are regular features at the Starry Plough, along with local and regional performers of every stripe – folk, blues, bluegrass, rock, and more. Open mic night is Tuesday, and locals say it's the best in the Bay area. Wednesday is the Berkeley Slam, a poetry slam unlike any you've ever seen before, with judges picked randomly from the audience and bands or DJs finishing out the evening. A fun, relaxed and artistic ambience permeates the pub every night of the week, and there's a full range of draught beer – Guinness, Fat Tire, Budweiser, and Newcastle are among the twenty or so available.
These nightlife options provide readers with the best places in Berkeley to unwind, kick back, and leave the day behind. Our editors and local contacts have searched Berkeley's neighborhoods for quiet venues, uncovered hip bars, and experienced the Berkeley club scene. We've hit the best Bars, Dance Clubs, and Live Entertainment in Berkeley, California ... Choose your diversion, and then let us direct your energies.
|
Print this Page
Email this Page
Click here to share it »
