The Back Room

1984 Bonita Ave
Berkeley CA 94704
510.654.3808

The Story Behind The Back Room

On April 16, 2016, local musician Sam Rudin opened a new music venue in downtown Berkeley called The Back Room, which honored his vision to recreate the cozy ambience of the original Freight & Salvage, a beloved Berkeley music venue dedicated to acoustic music.

Every East Bay music lover of a certain age knows that the beloved 420 seat concert hall started out as a tiny 87 seat room, stuffed with thrift-store couches and great music. The Freight’s overwhelming success and resulting expansion have been celebrated by all, but there are some who miss the living room intimacy that allowed lesser-known musicians to make their mark, and better-known players to get up close and personal with their fans.

Rudin, known for his rip-roaring solo piano wizardry as well as his band of jazz and blues veterans (Hurricane Sam & the Hotshots), describes his venture as a small space (100 people max), with great acoustics and comfortable seating, that showcases the musicians with respect and appreciation.

The Back Room welcomes all acoustically-based genres, including jazz, blues, folk, bluegrass, Americana, and more, and is an all-ages venue.

•The Back Room is not a place for food. Oh, we have a few packaged snacks for sale, but nothing that needs to be heated, sliced, or served.

•The Back Room is not a place for drinks. Of course we have water and soft drinks – we don’t want anyone to go thirsty. And adults are welcome to bring their own adult beverages with no corkage fee — 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 that may remind you of your own living room (assuming, of course, that your living room is filled with a few dozen thrift store mismatches.) 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.

Now, we like loud, sweaty rock as much as anyone. But we are a small place designed for a smaller sound. We offer a wonderful ambience with brick walls, a high vaulted wooden ceiling, and a Steinway Grand piano on stage.
https://backroommusic.com/

Upcoming Events:

15Mar

Saturday, March 15 2025 8:00 PM

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he Tiptons Saxophone Quartet & Drums are an internationally renowned all-female saxophone quartet with drums, celebrating over 30 years as a band. Formed in 1988 in Seattle, WA by Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame member Amy Denio (alto sax, clarinet, voice), she is joined by co-leader Jessica Lurie (soprano/alto/tenor sax, voice), Sue Orfield (tenor sax, voice), Tina Richerson (baritone sax, voice), and Rick Wabbies (drums, percussion).

The Tiptons' material ranges from micro-Big Band to Gospel, Bluegrass to Balkan, whimsical Chamber Jazz, and nocturnal Funk to Free Jazz Improvisation using saxophones, clarinet, their voices, drums, and inventive percussion to create a genre-busting ‘world soul’ sound. The band takes its name in honor of Billy Tipton, a female-born saxophonist who lived their life as a man in the 20th century to realize their dreams as a professional musician. Like Billy, the Tiptons have developed a personal, eclectic approach to their musical vision, creating some of the freshest sounds on the jazz/world/pop music scene today. They will be performing music from their latest release, “Wabi Sabi,” as well as brand new music for a 2026 release!

All members of the band are composers, bandleaders and experienced improvisers. Their dynamic and playful performances always feature high-energy interaction between these virtuosic musicians and their audiences. The Tiptons have received multiple commissions and grants to compose, produce multimedia performances, and collaborate with international artists. The ensemble has performed at festivals worldwide since 1993, and led educational improvisation and composition workshops around the world to people of all ages and musical abilities. They have scored soundtracks for film, modern dance, radio and television internationally; most recently their signature sound was featured on an episode of the Norwegian TV series 'The Oil Fund.'

“… More than 30 years along, the Tiptons Saxophone Quartet and Drums are sounding better than ever. Inspired by countless memorable collaborations with musicians from around the world, this group is setting a high bar for arrangements and compositions featuring multiple horns. Their powerful, confident sound combines jazz and classical music with funk and folk music from the broad reach of humanity.” - Abe Beeson, KNKX Seattle Public Radio

“... Entrancing beats with luscious tones and harmony stacks big enough to climb.” - All About Jazz

"The Tiptons blow up a mess of Balkan, Second Line, and carnivalesque lines, joyful, wry, and well-traveled … a hard blowing, rhythm-driven bunch of reeds." - The Seattle Stranger

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door general admission; $`15 for students with ID. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available here, or if the show is not sold out, you may purchase your tickets at the door before the show.

Doors open one half hour before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.

The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.

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Serving the San Francisco Bay Area New Music Community