History
Local musician Sam Rudin recently opened a new music venue in downtown Berkeley, The Back Room, which honors his vision to recreate the cozy ambience of the original Freight & Salvage. 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 new 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, as the logo says, an intimate place for music. We offer a wonderful ambience with brick walls, a high vaulted wooden ceiling, and a Steinway grand piano on stage.
Specialties
We are a small (capacity 93) music listening venue, designed by a musician, with the intention of being the perfect place for both performers and audiences. People keep telling us, and we are proud to report, that we have the best acoustics and most comfortable seating in the Bay Area. . We offer a wonderful ambience with brick walls, a high vaulted wooden ceiling, and a Steinway Grand piano on stage. We have a BYOB policy on alcohol, and since we cannot sell any, we are always accessible to all ages. We can and do accommodate full bands of the not-too-loud-sort, but we are especially adept at providing a space for quieter, acoustically based performers who deserve to be presented with respect and appreciation. Our room can also be rented for private events, and with its mixture of couches, tables& stools, and chairs, is surprisingly adaptable to many needs.