There is no bad seat at The Freight but this time I got front row , it's always general admission…read moreseating. This show was for Dave Alvin and Jimmy Dale Gilmore... two legends playing without their band for this show. Last time I saw them with their full band much closer to home at Felton Music Hall... also a great venue. Opening artist was guitarist Lenny Kaye from The Smiths and he was great too. Awesome audience as usual for The Freight. Get out and see live music, it's always a great time.

We saw Keola Beamer and Henry Kapono recently. It was our first visit to the Freight since they…read moremoved ever so long ago. This is truly a nice venue to see music. The staff is friendly; parking is convenient next door in the garage; plenty of restaurants nearby. There were also a few snack items and drinks available for sale. I was bummed that perhaps customer service and management aren't completely in synch with their own policies. I had written and asked if photography would be allowed since this was a Hawaiian show. I wanted to bring in one camera with an attached lens, no flash to take photos for personal use only. I was told that the policy was no photography was allowed. On the night of the show, the last announcement before the show started, was that non-flash photography was welcome. Oh well.

Great intimate music venue, with a variety of different styles of music…read more Bring your own drinks and food, nothing is available.

In all my years of growing up in the Bay and hanging out in Berkeley I never knew about this place…read more It's an intimate venue to hear live music. My dearly departed partner's cousin, Tony Saunders, was playing live there. (Bass player, his dad played with Jerry Garcia). you can Google him. Its a located one a small culd-a-sac off University so parking can be and issue, if you are look for free, but there is a lot across the street. There is no food served there and I believe you can BYOB, but there are plenty of place to eat along University, if you make this a date night or night out. There are some tables, and chairs toward the back, otherwise it is couches and other odd and ends furniture to sit on. It was great and the history of the place is great as well. I will check out some other shows there too. If you are a fan of Yoshis, it like that minus food and more intimate.

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.

I love outdoor venues for concerts, and this one is no exception!…read more Came here to see Jack Johnson last week. Sound was awesome. Love how the fog rolls in overhead. Seating is a bit tight, but this place was built approximately 100 years ago I believe. Good amount of concessions and restrooms. Would definitely come here for other concerts!

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE KHALID SHOW ON 6/26…read more This place is hands-down the best venue in the Bay Area. This was my first time here and I'll be going to see two more shows this summer. If you are attending a GA show here, I recommend arriving when the doors open. We were able to get parking with ease right across the street and get in line. Bring a stadium cushion or seat with back support as long as there's no metal in it. They didn't seem to be super strict on bag sizes, I used a stadium approved clear tote. But I saw a lot of bigger totes and Trader Joe's shopping bags. Refer to the site for information on what you can bring in as far as water bottles, snacks and other items. Literally every seat is a good seat here!

Once known for good beer selection and entertainment, it is still all that but also with solid pub…read morefood. The entertainment and community feel of the place is the #1 highlight. Open mic night gives young people a voice. Older musicians act as unofficial mentors - the best advice from one was to 'make me feel something!!' I love the art scene - and to me there is a special intersection of utility (maybe articulating an important message - or building a useful couch) --- and the beauty of that piece. How you put it together, how it looks and most importantly how it makes you feel when you sink into the couch or words. I have a lot of opinions and a lot to say. These days you really can't complain much - in the world you are a nag and in church you are labeled a legalist. The secret is if you say those things in a beautiful way or tip toe around a subject asking questions and letting the audience come up with their own conclusions. The young people today I have lots of sympathy for. The 50 year olds could get away with earning $50k/yr - the 40 year olds could get away with earning $100k/yr but the 20 and 30 year olds in the bay area with 2 kids need to earn $200k in their household to make ends meet. Gentrification is the enemy - those who are 'rich.' Lets blame the boomers. Maybe there are some other 'enemies' of the unaffordable nature of the bay area. A witch hunt aiming at tech workers or the unhoused or maybe today AI robots. My brother pays $4000/month for babysitting. I think his house tax is another $1000/month and we aren't even talking about the mortgage yet.... In San Francisco a family of 4 can qualify for free babysitting if they earn $178,300 or less per year. Maybe you can't call this the poverty level - but you qualify for everything including housing assistance. I'm sorry no beautiful poetry for you today. No lit slam. No soup for you!! I will continue building my couches - you take the stage!!

Starry Plough....Oh wow! This is really a cool scene…read more There's a different event seven nights a week. Today the day after July 4 celebration is sort of an Irish music session in the place is packed at 5:45 PM! Great musicians and a fun atmosphere, but it seems like the same continuous song plays between breaks with a slight adjustment of the melody. Sort of a hypnotic repetitive groove, not so unlike "ON THE CORNER" by Miles Davis but not really, ha ha! OK kids, please plug that into your little machine and have a listen. Feel that groove in "BLACK SATIN" The Starry Plough is a full service restaurant, pub and nightclub that has been a staple of the East Bay scene since 1973. With deep roots as an Irish Revolutionary watering hole, the history of protest runs as deep today as it did when they opened five decades ago. And they have really good food and a great tap beer list. Also, the very best bartenders and staff throughout! I just had a half order of the handcut french fries and they really are top-notch man, they're served with different condiments that you can help yourself to. I chose the Sriracha sauce and ketchup. I couldn't find the horseradish tonight. I've been coming in here for several years and I really dig it. Very special people hang out here, kind of a hippie Berkeley vibe. I've had great long conversations and met very groovy folks. It's a great watering hole.

Wonderful, amazing pizza with top-notch ingredients you can see how to use fresh mozzarella cheese,…read morethe way that it just pulls. The crust is absolutely just marvelous. The cheesy thin, crusty burnt ends gives it an appeal that most pizzas don't have .Thats what distinguishes this place from (ALL ) others ..Jupiter and Rose to name a few. This place absolutely distinguish itself from all the other pizza places here in Berkeley .near campus. The service was amazing very hospitable very warm and accommodating . Wonderful service.and the ambience is wonderful low-key music real college feel to the building with people just coming in and out, but at the same time, pleasing and welcoming. 5 /STARS for this place. !!!!! just keep in mind at the other location. on Shattuck (doesn't do slices like they do here. They only do slices for the special of the day. Other than that you have to order your pizza hole, but the telegraph location there's two slices anywhere you want them this place is a mess if you're at Berkeley a student or just family visit out of town.!!!

Half corn & Half potatoes: It was pretty darn good. We got another whole pizza after finishing the…read morefirst one. Never had corn or potatoes pizza. It was pretty good. The place used to be known for their vegetarian pizza when my friends went to school in Berkeley. Serivce was great! There were only 2 people working today when we got there and pizza came out pretty fast. They were accommodating with us also which we really appreciated. 5/5: because of the service. The pizza is pretty pricey. It came out to little over $40 with tips. The space is huge.

One of best music performing venues in the San Francisco Bay Area. Berkeley Piano Club is a…read morenonprofit organization for the female musicians.

I've been coming here for piano recitals and competitions for the past, oh, probably 10 years. It's…read morea great space, not too big, not too small. The piano's pretty good, and the acoustics aren't bad. There's a nice place to chill outside with food for the after-party. I do think it could be less stuffy inside and a bit brighter, but in general, it's a nice place.

Great place to come eat a bite, drink a bear, and sing a karaoke song!…read more I came here with some friends on a week night. It was pretty empty and had two nice pool tables. There's a food guy in the back that serves Japanese food (pretty good!). The karaoke sound system is pretty janky but functional and the DJ is very nice.

The place is bigger than it looks from the outside. They have a nice little game rooom with pool…read moretables and pinball machines. The service was friendly, but terrible--as in the bartender managed to get both rounds wrong. In one case, she took my order and then promptly forgot to make the drink. I had to go back and ask her again.

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.

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.