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The Freight

4.4 (225 reviews)
ModerateMusic Venues
Closed • 6:00 pm - 10:00 PM
Updated 2 weeks ago

The Freight Photos

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Recommended Reviews - The Freight

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Darlene M.

Very cool place! It's a small theatre with a stage. There's also food and drinks in the lobby for purchase. We went to attend a program for the Oakland School of the Arts - great experience. Loved the venue! Parking was easy, we used a nearby parking structure.

Hayley A.

simple, no frills venue for live music. they have very basic and limited concessions. recommend eating dinner beforehand for sure, but reasonable prices for alcoholic drinks for a venue, in my opinion.

Concessions stand menu
Annabelle R.

Attended a concert in the Freight's littlefield room, Mozart's Bday Celebration, SF Chamber Orchestra musicians on the violin, viola, and cello, and a special guest on the piano. The venue has a concessions stand serving snacks and drinks, and plenty of tables and seating in the lobby. There are also a few counter height tables and seating in the showroom which is a great option for viewing if you don't want to hold your drink during the performance, since it's open seating. The inside of the auditorium has a nice intimate feel, though it can still fit quite a bit of people. And the view of the stage seems pretty good from almost any seat due to the elevation. I sat at a high seat mid-level, next to a table, and it was perfect for experiencing the special Classicals at the Freight performance, the lovely melodies of Mozart and musical talents of SFCO all-stars. I parked less than 2 blocks away, on University Avenue, but if you can't find street parking, the Center Street Parking Garage is conveniently located right next to the Freight.

Shane S.

I recently went to the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse with my beloved to see Jai Uttal & friends. Freight & Salvage is a non-profit and a lot volunteers help run it. All in all great organization and a nice small intimate venue to see music. Me and my beloved really enjoyed the kirtan and performance. Great evening. We will return.

Downtown Berkeley
Matt W.

What a lovely evening with Eilen Jewell (Mess Around off the Boundary Country album) Freight and Salvage continue to offer amazing live music in an intimate setting at a reasonable price. Freight and Salvage are current with local and CDC COVID-19 protocols and offer a streamlined process to enter the facility.. Matt says check out the calendar and go see your favorite music live!

a man on stage speaking to a crowd
Anna S.

Came here for a moth taping and this venue was great! The acoustics were excellent - we could clearly hear everyone. It fit a lot of people but didn't feel overwhelming. Everyone staffing the event were very nice and everything was labeled clearly so it made navigating the venue extremely easy. During intermission, everyone crowded to restrooms, fortunately, the venue has gender neutral bathrooms (and not single stalls either!) on the upstairs area that were clearly labeled and easy to get to.

Sona Jobarteh, 8/8/23.  Incredible show.
Shanna K.

Fantastic venue. Not a bad seat in the house, great sound, staff was very nice, bathrooms were spotless and parking at the garage right next door was easy and affordable.

Taimane 8/4/2022

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11 years ago

great sound, relaxing and well set up, crap parking, but that's just downtown Berkeley.

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Ask the Community - The Freight

How early should we get in line for 6pm doors opening?

Doors usually open one hour before the show begins. All seats are good for viewing. 15 minutes prior is good. Unless shoe is sold out, probably 30 minutes if you have a seat preference.

Do you serve food and drinks?

They used to, pre-pandemic, but have strict mask requirements now and I don't think they currently serve food and drink. I suggest contacting them directly to be sure.

Is parking validated for the Center Street Garage?

The Freight does not validate parking.

Can we bring outside food and drink to a show?

No.

Is seating reserved?

For general admission tickets it's open seating, I.e., it's not reserved seating. However one can buy a premium ticket at above the general admission price and be able to sit in the premium ticket reserved section, which is several front rows in the… 

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Review Highlights - The Freight

“Again acoustics were spot on, everyone that we came in contact with at Freight & Salvage was super friendly.”

Mentioned in 43 reviews

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The UC Theatre

3.5(158 reviews)
0.1 mi•Downtown Berkeley
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I have been to UC Theater multiple times and have always had a great time. I like the layout…read moreincluding the bar down below in the pit. I want to thank you on behalf of every disappointed fan . You saved the day by pulling staff together last minute . You made the Descendents and Chats a reality . It really was a no brainer but I had no idea I would sell out like that. I Was the oldest guy in the pit . To see teenagers scream out their lyrics gave me HOPE , I knew one day I wouldn't be the only one....... Event the hippie and his hot girlfriend Were stoked to be doing the sound. Thanks everyone for coming together and coming to work. M

One of my first ever proper concerts in the Bay! The UC theatre was a great little intro…read more Arrived at around 8pm and loved that there was quite a bit of room to stand. Pro tip (for me mostly - because im an old ass millenial) But, spring for the seats. After a long day at work, I knew better to get a GA ticket. Went to see a show by the Jazz Collective, Jazz is Dead which was totally great. Sound was incredible and the general vibe of the place was wonderful. I loved how easy it was to get a drink, I suspect this may have been because it was an all age show and most couldn't drink, but a win is a win for me. Bartenders were mega friendly. Loved that I am very happy they did have a few seats out in the lobby so I was able to rest a bit. Lastly, shout out to the venue because when a young lady had an emergency, they were immediately on the scene. I personally didn't even realize something was wrong until help arrived so it was less than 30 seconds. Not something you normally think about, but mega important. Great Show at UC Theatre! Ill definitely be back to seee another show there.

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The UC Theatre
The UC Theatre
The UC Theatre - Outside

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Outside

Ivy Room - Still life at the Ivy Room

Ivy Room

4.1(99 reviews)
2.1 mi
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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 would eat the fries usually, with a little help from me. 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.

I continue to love the Ivy room. Bartenders make the best drinks and they aren't overpriced…read more Doorman is always really accommodating and friendly, and the bands are fantastic.

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Ivy Room - The huge selection at the bar

The huge selection at the bar

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Tupper and Reed

Tupper and Reed

3.7(316 reviews)
0.2 mi•Downtown Berkeley
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Good friendly staff. Lots of room to move around at big events near Berkeley U. Good selection of…read moredrinks. Even bottled coke!

I have a fairly large at home bar with plenty of ingredients, so it gets harder to find a place…read morethat serves craft cocktails that I couldn't make myself. Tupper and Reed still stands tall above everyone else. I stopped in on a Saturday evening, feeling pretty mellow. After I arrived, a band started up that reminded me of the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. You can't beat the ambiance, since this was an old music store, and the please is littered with antique record players and instruments. There are some negative reviews here about rude, more accurately, unresponsive bartenders, and I don't think they get what this place is all about. If you want a chatty, friendly bartender, go to an Irish pub. This place is all about creating unique concoctions in volume. Having said that, I'll tell you a story. In March 2019, I was with a chatty bartender here, since it was a quiet night. I was looking at the vast array of bottles, and noticed something that said "Buffalo Trace" but looked different from their usual bottle. I asked her what it was, and she didn't know. It had about three fingers left at the bottom, so she looked at me mischievously and said, "wanna finish it with me?" So we did. Turns out, that 375 ml bottle was worth about $300. It was one of their experimental batches, made with oats in 2002. I found a bottle online in England and got it shipped here. Best whiskey I've ever had.

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Tupper and Reed
Tupper and Reed
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Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center - Cajun / Zydeco show

Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center

4.2(115 reviews)
1.6 mi•West Berkeley
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50 years in business
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Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center - Dance lessons and social dancing throughout the nights

Dance lessons and social dancing throughout the nights

Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center
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Both seated and non-seated performances

The Starry Plough - Irish Mac and Cheese w/ bacon

The Starry Plough

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1.2 mi•South Berkeley
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The Starry Plough - Bar

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The Starry Plough - Starry Salad

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The Freight - musicvenues - Updated November 2026

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