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    The Back Room

    4.6 (38 reviews)
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    J. P.

    I've been going to The Back Room for over 5 years as it's generally a nice place to see music, but I've become increasingly concerned about the cleanliness and condition, as well as the owner's behavior. The main space is acoustically great and the venue is certainly intimate as others have noted. The sound system, run by Sam, is hit or miss, often having buzzing or other issues that he doesn't seem to care about. Cables are almost always a mess and there's usually a pile of drums in the corner of the stage, which is rather unprofessional. It never looks great. The furniture (couches) are certainly cozy but I doubt they get cleaned at all, let alone regularly. So, if you want to sit on a public couch, knock yourself out. Enter the kitchen or either of the two bathrooms and you'll immediately get the sense that someone lives at the venue. The first bathroom has a shower and usually has pill bottles, personal hygiene products, and other materials out in the open. It's never very clean and feels more like a dormitory bathroom than anything that belongs in a public music venue. It's not unusual for the office space to reek of a certain kind of smoke. Sam, as hard as he tries, has a a sort of unsettling presence and on several occasions I've seen him insist on sitting in with artists who don't seem to want him there - sometimes playing bongos, sometimes playing piano, and rarely fitting into the music very well (overplaying, playing too loudly, etc). I'd be really thrilled if Sam could clean up this space, including the back areas, and be a little bit more conscious of the way he addresses the crowd and how much figurative "space" he takes up.

    Chandra C.

    Had a great time listening and dancing to Jazz Vocalist Yolandra Rhodes and The Rhodes Scholars. Intimate venue, great acoustics and ability to bring your own food and drinks. I'll be back. I have a new fav artist! Thank you Yolandra

    a band playing on stage
    Smrithika A.

    Happened about this low key music spot in Berkeley this weekend and was pleasantly surprised. They have a great acoustic setup and casual seating with arrows of loungers, couches and various chairs for first come first serve seating. Tickets were $18 for presale online and $20 at the door. They are byob/d with most folks bringing their own beverages. It does look like a home's back room turned into a performance venue. We had a chance to see the lab rats perform their Bay Area demo with a Sacramento band French 75 joining them. The music was definitely the focus and everyone in the audience was really passionate about music - great to find a community like this in Berkeley. It does get a bit warm inside so dress in layers. Probably good to come a bit early so you can snag some couch seats. Parking was available on the street. Tip: There are quite a few Japanese restaurants around the corner from the venue and make for a good pre show dinner spot.

    Kat S.

    We came here one Friday night to listen to a friend's band and were pleasantly surprised to find this hidden gem on a little side street across near my favorite place Butcher's Son. It looks like a tiny little cottage from outside, but when you walk in it's been made into a cozy event venue with great acoustics, comfy love seats and a little stage in the corner. The owner was friendly and even jumped in to play with the band in the end. How fun! Fun place to check out when looking for live music in downtown Berkeley that doesn't break the bank. Also, it's BYOB.

    Banana doing acoustic show
    roy c.

    We had a wonderful night here before the virus came. Highly recommend it. Friendly people friendly crowd BYOB and good music. Parking can be shaky but it is Berkeley

    Tom Rozum, Laurie Lewis, Mollie O'Brien and Rich Gordon filling the room with their great music.

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    6 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Cool venue. Relaxing Saturday afternoon of live music. Great community vibe. Looking forward to returning.

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    2 years ago

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    Sam R.

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    6 months ago

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    4 years ago

    What a great place. We enjoyed some fun music, while relaxing on a sofa . Got a sandwich to munch . Highly recommend this cozy artsy space.

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    8 years ago

    A reason to live in Berkeley. Very informal, as you like, but the acoustics are amazing and the talent even more so.

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    Ask the Community - The Back Room

    Review Highlights - The Back Room

    There are lots of comfy couches and you basically feel like you're invited to a private jam session in the band's living room.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    The UC Theatre - Music hall/ concert

    The UC Theatre

    (152 reviews)

    $$

    Downtown Berkeley

    Me and my and my girlfriend and her sister and boyfriend came to see Sammy Johnson and the…read moreBayonics. The food here is good but they charge about 8 to 9 dollars for a pizza slice which is insane. The service here is OK but the bartender definitely is a 10 out of 10 just because they give you more liquor and they also mix the drinks quite well. The ambience was super dope. I definitely would come back here again and see another person performing here.

    This was my first time ever attending this theater, and I love the old-fashioned theatrics behind…read moreeverything! It seemed rather comical to me that we were watching Wu-Tang crew in such an iconic classic turn of the century theater, but the set up was great!! Great sound system, beautiful Structure, and agree wall of famous people that have performed here! I didn't eat any food, but there were tables that people were sitting at and standing towards the back. We were on the lower floor without any tables around. They had open bars on the side, not open, but available to the customers. And drinks were well poured. The only odd thing I would say was the bathrooms were rather thrashed. It reminded me of an outdated bathroom I saw in a hole in the wall restaurant that had delicious food while in Taiwan. At least they had plumbing, but they were literally holes in the ground, holes in the wall and then random Boards, put up to cover up the holes within the woman's bathroom. About a block away there is a parking garage, other than that their street parking. We were lucky and found some street parking about two blocks away, so it wasn't too hard to walk. I wouldn't mind going back to seeing another show here again.

    Greek Theatre - UC Berkeley - VIew is from the center walkway

    Greek Theatre - UC Berkeley

    (764 reviews)

    $$

    UC Area

    WOW. The Greek Theatre Berkeley is on another level. Saw Mumford & Sons here and it was hands down…read moreone of the best concert experiences I've ever had. The energy, the crowd, the sound--everything was absolutely unreal. This venue makes every moment feel epic and somehow still intimate at the same time. Yes, drinks and food are pricey, but totally worth it for the vibes and quality. Great staff, smooth setup, and an atmosphere that just hits different. If an artist you love is playing here, GO. No hesitation. unforgettable night.

    Recently attended a concert here at the Greek Theatre and had a blast. We saw a band called Royel…read moreOtis and while I don't know a ton of their music, they put on a pretty good show. Going to the Greek is always a good time. The vibes, ambiance, and sound system are so dialed in, I can't imagine a bad concert here. I've seen all types of shows (EDM, Indie, R&B, Reggae) and it truly never disappoints. On this last visit, we got there after the opener so it was already pretty packed. As I get older, dealing with the crowds and being in the pit isn't for me anymore. Luckily we were able to grab a seat at their viewing deck located on the top left of the stage. It had a few levels with seats and a bar type thing to put food and drinks on. It was honestly the most comfortable I've been at a concert. Nobody in front or behind us, and so much room! Although I ate a hefty snack before the event, I still ended up with some tater tots, nachos, and couple of beers. I think for 2 drinks and the nachos it was close to $60 with tip, so definitely normal for concert venue prices. The nacho cheese was cold but oh well I still enjoyed them. Definitely looking forward to returning in October to see Jungle!

    The Starry Plough - Irish Mac and Cheese w/ bacon

    The Starry Plough

    (419 reviews)

    $$

    South Berkeley

    Ok, Starry Plough..I see you!…read more Recently one of my besties sent me a text and mentioned they were heading to the Starry Plough for an open mic night. Obvs, I attended! I hadn't been there in what seems like forever, and was pleasantly surprised to see such a cool presence of community show up. From stand up, to live music and spoken word, it was awesome to see such talented locals. There is also on the last Sunday of every month, Kid's Music. We recently attended this event and it was so fun. We ordered Cottage Pie, Homemade Chicken Strips with Fries/dipping sauces, and of course a Guinness. They had multi-color balloons to blow up, and two artists came and sang with instruments/passed out music shakers for the kiddos/and story time too. It was such a fun and interactive experience for the whole family to enjoy. Looks like they have programming everyday of the week too! From Irish dance, trivia, Grateful Dead Jam Sesh, and more..can't wait to come back again soon for their fresh taps, community vibes, and those yummy fries. Would love to try the House Mac & Cheese too.

    I was looking for an excuse to patronize this Irish pub and thought I found one when I started…read moredeveloping a wintertime hankering for Irish coffee. Alas, when Jamie W and I popped over after our gym routine, we asked for one only to discover they don't have a full liquor license by choice. The owners want to keep the peace with their mostly residential neighbors. I get it, but I did miss my whiskey. Instead we got our $11 pints of Guinness and we most certainly weren't disappointed (Photo 6). In fact, it got us in such a Gaelic mood that we decided to have lunch here and ordered the $18 plate of Corned Beef & Cabbage. It was a welcome sight when it arrived, but I have to share that the four thick slices were on the tough side. The cabbage and braised carrots were gratefully better. The standout though was probably the mashed potatoes topped with green onions (Photo 8). That was because it reminded me of comfort food from the days of yore since my yore is further back than most. The vibe was certainly convivial enough, though we were here just after they opened on Saturday. I imagine it must get quite festive when there's live music and the community gathers. FOOD / DRINK - 3 stars...corned beef kinda tough, whiskey was missing AMBIANCE - 3 stars...definitely a pub but too early to enjoy SERVICE - 3.5 stars...the guys are nice here TOTAL - 3 stars...well check them out when musicians are in the house RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places l've patronized and reviewed: https://yelp.to/45MBYEe_XO

    The Back Room - theater - Updated May 2026

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