Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center

We were in Berkeley to visit my niece, and to listen to a Grateful Dead cover band in honor of my brother-in-law, who had just passed away.The band was great. The sound was good. The bar was open. We catered in our own food which was Jewish deli so of course, something for everyone. Parking was tight. It's an incredibly hard neighborhood to find parking so be careful where you do park. The street life was entertaining as many people came up and down smoking weed riding their dirt bikes in the street doing wheelies and of course, lots of other colorful folks on the street. Is a very popular music venue for lots of bands, as you can see by the posters and is well attended by many people in and out of the Berkeley area.

Love this family-friendly club. Have been playing and dancing there for years. A Berkeley legend that is still going strong.

We only went here once, because they had a Cajun band and there was a zydeco lesson before the performance. The band was amazing and we enjoyed the lesson and dancing. A bit pricey, but we'd definitely go back if there were a band we wanted to dance to.

The Ghost of Berkeley Past lives on in Berkeley Present. Berzerkeley became a haven for anti-establishment radicals, hippies, yippies, and dippies in the 1960s. Most never left. At Ashkenaz, their mindset lives on.it's an old barn on old US 40, was never gentrified, turned into a community center and concert venue. It is now a venue for [ahem] other music. You won't find Justin Bieber's music here, not even at Sunday's Soul Sanctuary open dance. Instead, Ashkenaz showcases world music and out-of-the-mainstream American artistry: bhangra, Afro-Cuban, samba, Cajun jam sessions, kalaripayathu, Argentine tango. There's quite an appetite for these offerings in Berkeley, so Ashkenaz has been around for a long time.It's a time warp, in a way. Posters and artwork celebrating far-left-of-center thought. No attempt at beautifying the place, leaving it raw. Takes you back to 1971. Thankfully, no white males were thrown out because of their lack of diversity; if I remember right, the bartender was a white male. In diversity, lives of all colors matter.I've been here only for the bachata offerings. This is as mainstream as you get, and even then, half the people you meet have probably never heard of bachata. It's a Dominican dance that's become popular in the clubs, taught by Kathy Reyes, the same Kathy Reyes I mentioned in my review of Alhambra's Granada Dance Studio. It brought in a crowd that may not come here for other events. Which is a good business move; get as many different kinds of people in here as we can, build the size of the Ashkenaz community.So look over the events calendar, see if anything interests you that you want to try out, and come on out. You may find yourself becoming a regular at Ashkenaz. I mean, if they let a white male middle-class conservative-voting Christian (me) come in, they'll let anyone in! And really, why not be one big happy family?

Spinning all night long at the spinnery, my first Dead show. Classic Berkley venue, would definitely recommend catching some tunes here!

Michele and I love Ashkenaz. We love the easy parking. We love the modest cover charge. We love that it hosts a very eclectic set if musical acts...last night we saw a Pakistani band called Baraka Moon. We loooove the nights Stu Allen plays. Some truly magical moments with his band Mars Hotel. We love the beer and wine selection for great prices (6 for beer and 5 for wine). Crazy good prices for Fieldwork IPA. The bar also has a modest food menu with only vegetarian fare. We like that. The venue is cozy but airy. You are at the stage even near the back. Tables line both sides so if you come early you can get a nice seat for the show. Several bathrooms near the back of the venue. All are not gender specific. The bar is small and located near the entrance. They have too many different kinds of acts to list. You just need to check out the calendar to see how truly varied the performers are. Enjoy a local night out at Ashkenaz!

The vibe is great. Nice staff. Nice patrons. I lost my wallet and someone took the $200 that was in it and turned it in. At least I git my id back. Large wooden dance floor. Cute funky bathrooms.

My go to place when I feel like hearing live music, especially for zydeco. Often has good ska/reggae. Never any of the big names, but that's fine.Sometimes a bit loud & the acoustics aren't that great (it is just a big barn). Crowd is almost always friendly; mostly older hippie types.Small booze selection & you wouldn't go here for food but they often have dance lessons before a show (e.g. Cuban salsa or zydeco).Apparently there's kids stuff sometimes but overall # 1 Bay area dive for zydeco!

Great dance floor, with all kinds (I mean all kinds) of awesome live bands. This place has some of the best country music in the Bay Area; it's good for country two-step dancing! The salsa and bachata nights are also super popular with folks of all ages. There is a large variety of world music that would be hard to find elsewhere. Many of the shows have a dance lesson at the beginning, which is great for breaking the ice. We're also really glad that our kids can get in free. It has a crunchy hippie atmosphere, which goes with the folk-music vibe.I do recommend using earplugs or ear protection, especially for the kids, since it can get really loud. Also there is no coat check, but that's never caused a problem for us. The crowd is usually pretty mellow.

It is a hole in the wall and that is what makes it fun. There is plenty of room to express oneself dancing.