Join us for Israeli Dance Session led by one of the longtime masters of Israeli music Allen King!

All levels are welcome!

Come and dance the older Israeli folk dances live with us on Sunday, September 10th, at the Ashkenaz dance hall in Berkeley, or join by Zoom. The cost is $10 for in-person dancing and is free for students under 18. Potluck Snacks & Drinks.

Bring your dancing shoes, requests, and energy for four hours of your favorite dances created before 1985.

Masks are optional, and proof of vaccination is not required.

Email dance or teaching requests in advance to allenk@mindspring.com

Ticket Prices:

GA: $10

Inspired by Brazil’s Fritura Livre monthly public gathering of structured Body Music improvisation and jam, contemporary Body Music pioneer Keith Terry, and special guests, host FREE FRY - a monthly Body Music jam here at Ashkenaz. This guided Body Music jam session welcomes all levels, no experience required - just an open mind and willingness to play, learn, improvise and explore.

This is a guided body music jam session, all levels welcome, no experience required!

Body Music, also known as Body Percussion and Body Drumming, is the oldest music on the planet. Before people were hollowing logs and slapping rocks, they were using their bodies to stomp, clap, sing, snap and grunt their musical ideas. There are many traditional Body Musics in the world, from African-American Hambone and Flamenco Palmas to Sumatran Saman and Ethiopian Armpit music. Since 1978 Keith Terry has developed a contemporary style of Body Music based on his training as a jazz drummer, as well as his years of intensive study and collaboration with world rhythmic systems. In 2008, with Evie Ladin, they established the International Body Music Festival, here in the Bay Area and around the world - with iterations in Turkey, Brazil, Indonesia, Ghana, France, and more.

Using the oldest instrument on the planet -- the human body -- we clap, slap, snap, step and vocalize our way through some very fun and funky, original and traditional rhythmic music. BODY MUSIC is an effective way of internalizing rhythmic work, which enhances the development of time, timing, phrasing, listening skills, independence, coordination and ensemble awareness. It is a useful tool for anyone interested in deepening their rhythmic skills.

Tickets:

By donation at the door

Doors at 7:30 PM - All Levels Tango Dance Lesson at 8 PM - Show at 9 PM

Trio Tangazo performs authentic and virtuosic Argentine Tango for dancing. These Latin Grammy nominated musicians will bring the passion and brilliance of Argentine Tango to Ashkenaz for listening and dancing. An all levels Tango dance class will open the night.

Trio Tangazo is an all star Tango group comprised of 2022 Latin Grammy Nominee Sascha Jacobsen on bass, virtuoso pianist, Seth Asarnow and master bandoneonist Adrian Jost.

Seth Asarnow has performed with Forever Tango on Dancing with the Stars, as well as with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood bowl. Adrian Jost is a founder of Trio Garufa and Quinteto Pacifico and has toured the world performing Argentine Tango. Sascha was nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2022 with his group Los Tangueros del Oeste, for Best Tango Album, and he currently lives is Argentina.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale: $20

GA DoS: $25

Doors at 7:30pm ~ Show at 8pm

A tradition that started back in the 20th century, Ashkenaz’s Grateful Dead Night is always evolving, continuing on! Led by the best artists in the Bay Area, a revolving cast of incredibly talented musicians grace the stage each week, drawing from the Grateful Dead’s vast catalog to delight Deadheads and dancers of all generations.

Matt Hartle will be hosting this edition of Ashkenaz's Grateful Dead Night!

Guitarist Matt Hartle was born and raised in rural Pennsylvania, but his playing and his music resonate with a musical and cultural aesthetic that is pure San Francisco Bay Area. His playing exemplifies the uniquely American music form that had it's birth in the Bay Area during the late 1960's and early '70's - a fusion of blues, rock, folk, and jazz performed with an exploratory, and at times mystical, spirit and a penchant for genre bending and blending. After studying jazz and earning a BA in Jazz Performance from the University of North Texas, Matt continued his migration West where he ultimately found his way to the coastal enclave of Santa Cruz, CA where he has made his home since 1995.

Hartle is equally at home with, and notably proficient in, bluegrass, folk, straight-ahead jazz, fusion, and all manner of rock, country, and blues stylings. His signature playing style is marked by an instantly recognizable fluidity and sonic intensity which ebbs and flows in organic currents. Ecstatically melodic themes can erupt into blistering torrents of blues-rock fury or devolve into mysterious, dissonant, yearning explorations, or placid contemplations of a multitude of colors, forms, textures and moods. It's no surprise that his fretwork has garnered favorable comparisons to such psychedelic guitar luminaries as Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, and Steve Kimock, as well as a host of more traditional fretboard icons, including Lowell George and Mark Knopfler.

Though such comparisons are surely well deserved, the attentive listener quickly discovers that despite surface similarities to these guitar greats, Hartle's voice is distinctly his own, distinguished by a unique vocabulary and a complex, deeply engaging sense of phrasing and articulation, with a deep-rooted knowledge of musical style and idiom. To put it simply, Matt Hartle is saying things that haven't been said before.

A quick scan of the list of players he has collaborated with gives an indication of the dimensions of his musical affinities: Melvin Seals; Henry Kaiser; Greg Anton; Donna Jean Godchaux; Dave Hebert; Joe Craven; and Stu Allen to name only a few.

For the past four years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays at Michael's on Main. This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale - $20.00

GA DoS - $25.00

The Barton Hills Choir is thrilled to travel to Berkeley, CA from their hometown of Austin, TX to perform music of the Grateful Dead and other choir classics with the incomparable David Gans and friends at the Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center.

About The Choir:

The Barton Hills Choir is a youth choir from Austin, Texas led by Gavin Tabone that specializes in music by the Grateful Dead and other classic rock artists. The Choir is accompanied by professional musicians, including guitarist Don “El Cento” Cento, bassist Aaron “Hair Doctor” Dembe, and drummer Jake “Mr. Bubbles” Perlman.

Their repertoire spans golden oldies from the Beatles, Elvis, David Bowie, Grateful Dead and Beach Boys and numbers from Broadway musicals like “Mary Poppins” to songs from more current bands like Wilco, Muse, The Flaming Lips, Foo Fighters, and Belle and Sebastian. They perform annually at the Austin City Limits Music Festival and have traveled for shows in New York, Chicago, Denver, Portland (Maine), and Dallas

They have shared the stage with Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian, singing sensation Nakia, guitar legend Charlie Sexton, and the Flaming Lips. They also accompanied Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters when he performed ‘The Wall’ at the Frank Erwin Center.

Doors at 1:30 PM - Show at 2:00 PM

Doors at 6:30 PM - Show at 7:00 PM

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale: $20

GA DoS: $25

Doors at 7:30pm ~ Show at 8pm

A tradition that started back in the 20th century, Ashkenaz’s Grateful Dead Night is always evolving, continuing on! Led by the best artists in the Bay Area, a revolving cast of incredibly talented musicians grace the stage each week, drawing from the Grateful Dead’s vast catalog to delight Deadheads and dancers of all generations.

Tonight with Scott Guberman & Friends!

Scott Guberman is an American keyboardist best known for his work with founding Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh. After relocating to the Bay Area from the East Coast In 2015, Guberman was asked to join Phil Lesh's band "Communion". He now plays regularly as a member of Phil Lesh & Friends and with Lesh in other formations at Terrapin Crossroads.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale - $20.00

GA DoS - $25.00

Inspired by Brazil’s Fritura Livre monthly public gathering of structured Body Music improvisation and jam, Keith Terry and Crosspulse is starting a Bay Area series (that had its first meeting *just* before pandemic, Feb 2020!). This is the first of many!

This is a guided body music jam session, all levels welcome, no experience required!

About Crosspulse:

Crosspulse is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to the creation, performance and recording of rhythm-based, intercultural music and dance.

Tickets:

By Donation

Doors at 7 PM - Dance Lesson at 7:30 PM - Show at 8 PM

Motordude Zydeco return once again to Ashkemaz!

Born in Oakland California, MotorDude Zydeco plays the music of South Louisiana with soul, grit, and Funky-in-your-face style Zydeco music.

Named after a racehorse owned by zydeco legend Bozoo Chavis, MotorDude brings the real deal to the Ashkenaz dance floor!

For over 15 years, founding members Billy Wilson (accordion/vocals), Lloyd Meadows (RubBoard/Vocals) Dennis Calloway (Bass)Willy Jordan (Drums/Vocals), and Ian Lamson (Guitar), have been entertaining the Bay Area Zydeco scene.

Tickets Prices:

GA Presale: $15

GA DoS: $20

Doors at 7:30pm ~ Show at 8pm

A tradition that started back in the 20th century, Ashkenaz’s Grateful Dead Night is always evolving, continuing on! Led by the best artists in the Bay Area, a revolving cast of incredibly talented musicians grace the stage each week, drawing from the Grateful Dead’s vast catalog to delight Deadheads and dancers of all generations.

Matt Hartle will be hosting this edition of Ashkenaz's Grateful Dead Night!

Guitarist Matt Hartle was born and raised in rural Pennsylvania, but his playing and his music resonate with a musical and cultural aesthetic that is pure San Francisco Bay Area. His playing exemplifies the uniquely American music form that had it's birth in the Bay Area during the late 1960's and early '70's - a fusion of blues, rock, folk, and jazz performed with an exploratory, and at times mystical, spirit and a penchant for genre bending and blending. After studying jazz and earning a BA in Jazz Performance from the University of North Texas, Matt continued his migration West where he ultimately found his way to the coastal enclave of Santa Cruz, CA where he has made his home since 1995.

Hartle is equally at home with, and notably proficient in, bluegrass, folk, straight-ahead jazz, fusion, and all manner of rock, country, and blues stylings. His signature playing style is marked by an instantly recognizable fluidity and sonic intensity which ebbs and flows in organic currents. Ecstatically melodic themes can erupt into blistering torrents of blues-rock fury or devolve into mysterious, dissonant, yearning explorations, or placid contemplations of a multitude of colors, forms, textures and moods. It's no surprise that his fretwork has garnered favorable comparisons to such psychedelic guitar luminaries as Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, and Steve Kimock, as well as a host of more traditional fretboard icons, including Lowell George and Mark Knopfler.

Though such comparisons are surely well deserved, the attentive listener quickly discovers that despite surface similarities to these guitar greats, Hartle's voice is distinctly his own, distinguished by a unique vocabulary and a complex, deeply engaging sense of phrasing and articulation, with a deep-rooted knowledge of musical style and idiom. To put it simply, Matt Hartle is saying things that haven't been said before.

A quick scan of the list of players he has collaborated with gives an indication of the dimensions of his musical affinities: Melvin Seals; Henry Kaiser; Greg Anton; Donna Jean Godchaux; Dave Hebert; Joe Craven; and Stu Allen to name only a few.

For the past four years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays at Michael's on Main. This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale - $20.00

GA DoS - $25.00

Doors at 7:3 PM - Dance Lesson at 8 PM - Show at 8:30 PM

Lucky’s soulful piano and vocals, and the vivacious Miss Getit’s vocals and acclaimed guitar shredding create a powerful sound that appeals to fans both young and old. They perform as a 6 piece band, Steve Lucky & the Rhumba Bums, with 2 saxes, bass, drums, piano, guitar and vocals. Swingin' Vintage Jazz, Sultry Blues, Jumpin' R&B,

original tunes and delicious covers.

Described as a “perfect union of skilled and fueled merrymaking"" (SF Bay Guardian), they thrive at engaging an audience. Muddy Waters' legendary blues/boogie pianist Pinetop Perkins called Miss Getit his ""favorite guitarist"".

Tickets:

GA Presale: $20

GA DoS: $25

"“Steve, Carmen, and the entire band are consummate musicians and entertainers”

Rebecca Weller, Producer Summer Mid-Summer Night Swing Festival, Lincoln Center, New York City

“Instant crowd favorites”

Tom Mazzolini, producer, San Francisco Blues Festival

“Carmen Getit wrings a mean, meaty moan from a Gibson.”

Adam Levy, Guitar Player Magazine

“Superior musicianship."" ""The Rhumba Bums abide by Cab Calloway's advice:

'Live what's in your soul and sing your friggin' heart out'""

Frank-John Hadley, 4 STARS, Down Beat Magazine

“Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums will have you jumping and jiving in no time!”

Joseph Jordan, 4 STARS, Blues Access Magazine"

Doors at 7:30pm ~ Show at 8pm

A tradition that started back in the 20th century, Ashkenaz’s Grateful Dead Night is always evolving, continuing on! Led by the best artists in the Bay Area, a revolving cast of incredibly talented musicians grace the stage each week, drawing from the Grateful Dead’s vast catalog to delight Deadheads and dancers of all generations.

Tonight with Scott Guberman & Friends!

Scott Guberman is an American keyboardist best known for his work with founding Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh. After relocating to the Bay Area from the East Coast In 2015, Guberman was asked to join Phil Lesh's band "Communion". He now plays regularly as a member of Phil Lesh & Friends and with Lesh in other formations at Terrapin Crossroads.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale - $20.00

GA DoS - $25.00

Doors at 7:30pm ~ Show at 8pm

A tradition that started back in the 20th century, Ashkenaz’s Grateful Dead Night is always evolving, continuing on! Led by the best artists in the Bay Area, a revolving cast of incredibly talented musicians grace the stage each week, drawing from the Grateful Dead’s vast catalog to delight Deadheads and dancers of all generations.

Tonight with Scott Guberman & Friends!

Scott Guberman is an American keyboardist best known for his work with founding Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh. After relocating to the Bay Area from the East Coast In 2015, Guberman was asked to join Phil Lesh's band "Communion". He now plays regularly as a member of Phil Lesh & Friends and with Lesh in other formations at Terrapin Crossroads.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale - $20.00

GA DoS - $25.00

Inspired by Brazil’s Fritura Livre monthly public gathering of structured Body Music improvisation and jam, contemporary Body Music pioneer Keith Terry, and special guests, host FREE FRY - a monthly Body Music jam here at Ashkenaz. This guided Body Music jam session welcomes all levels, no experience required - just an open mind and willingness to play, learn, improvise and explore.

This is a guided body music jam session, all levels welcome, no experience required!

Body Music, also known as Body Percussion and Body Drumming, is the oldest music on the planet. Before people were hollowing logs and slapping rocks, they were using their bodies to stomp, clap, sing, snap and grunt their musical ideas. There are many traditional Body Musics in the world, from African-American Hambone and Flamenco Palmas to Sumatran Saman and Ethiopian Armpit music. Since 1978 Keith Terry has developed a contemporary style of Body Music based on his training as a jazz drummer, as well as his years of intensive study and collaboration with world rhythmic systems. In 2008, with Evie Ladin, they established the International Body Music Festival, here in the Bay Area and around the world - with iterations in Turkey, Brazil, Indonesia, Ghana, France, and more.

Using the oldest instrument on the planet -- the human body -- we clap, slap, snap, step and vocalize our way through some very fun and funky, original and traditional rhythmic music. BODY MUSIC is an effective way of internalizing rhythmic work, which enhances the development of time, timing, phrasing, listening skills, independence, coordination and ensemble awareness. It is a useful tool for anyone interested in deepening their rhythmic skills.

Tickets:

By donation at the door

Every Sunday, 11 AM - 1 PM

Soul Sanctuary Dance, founded in 2003, is a weekly welcoming and inclusive all-ages community freestyle/ecstatic/shoes optional dance that supports free expression, community, physical and emotional health, and a spirit of generosity. We dance to an irresistible eclectic blend of music.

• We charge no admission fee and we are all-volunteer run, but you are invited to pay it forward at this link to enable us to pay our expenses and keep our chain of gifts alive through our dance: paypal.me/soulsanctuarydance (note: account name says Zachary Pine.) We also accept donations at the in-person dance.

• Our in-person and online dancers are equally important and cherished parts of our community. We include an online option because we know that some people can't be at our venue

• we are no longer requiring masks or vaccination

• Ashkenaz is wheelchair accessible.

• The organizers are Herb Heinz, Kristi Coombs, Michelle Blair, and Zach Pine. Reach us here.

Doors at 7:30 - Show at 8:00 PM

Set 1: Karamo Susso Acoustic Set / Set 2: Karamo Susso with the band

International kora star Karamo Susso celebrates Malian music. One of the best-known African performers to grace our stage, he has appeared in the past few years in numerous settings, contributing his unique spirit, from solo to such world fusions as the World Blues Band, Symphony of Koras, Soul Union, and the Manding Band. Susso was born in Gambia, raised in Mali, and is a singer and kora master. He grew up in a compound of griots, next door to Toumani Diabate. His uncle was Ballake Cissoko. Susso played kora and performed before he was big enough to hold the instrument. He has since gone on to perform with many of Africa’s top stars and American musicians including Taj Mahal.

The kora, the 21-stringed harp lute of West Africa, originated in the ancient Kingdom of Mali more than a thousand years ago. Tradition tells that djinns brought it into this world and gave it to the griots: families whose place in the culture was to sing the epics of heroes and relate histories. The griots played kora and sang in court to praise the kings, and in the villages to carry news and to celebrate traditional ceremonies. The music is intricate, elegant, and potent. It is sweet while strong, percussive while lyrical, active while calm. Centuries of complex tradition are heard in it, as are simple truths.

Ticket Prices:

Collège Students: $15 (only at the DOOR - have your student ID ready)

GA Presale: $20

GA DoS: $25

Come join us at Ashkenaz in Berkeley.

A night to dance and enjoy Latin music. Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Cumbia and more.

*** Doors open 7:30pm

*** Beginner friendly Salsa Lesson 8:00pm with Kathy Reyes

*** Social Dancing 9:00pm- 1:30am

*** Spinning your favorite music DJRon

*** Beer, Wine and Snacks available for purchase.

Ticket Prices:

Pre-Sale $15

At Door $25

Students with Valid ID $15 at door.

Parking is available in the REI parking lot across the street after 9 pm. At other times, street parking is available on Gilman, San Pablo and neighboring streets. Please respect Ashkenaz's neighbors and keep voices down as you walk through the neighborhood, especially late at night.

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT krdance.official@gmail.com

Doors at 7:00 PM - Dance Lesson at 7:30 PM - Show at 8:00 PM

Named from a song created by Bae Bae Carriere, the lead singer and accordion player’s dad. This band plays authentic Louisiana Cajun and Zydeco music. The lead singer and accordion player is Andrew Carriere, a native of Lawtell, Louisiana, and a Creole French Speaker. The band plays original Cajun and Zydeco songs in the original format and language. The band fills the night with two-step dances, the waltz, and line dances, creating a night full of toe-tapping fun. The band is featured in major festivals, including Cotati Accordion Festival, the Crawfish& Catfish Festival, and several other venues.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale: $20

GA Dos: $25

Bio:

Andrew Carriere

A Louisiana Frenchman, accordionist, and singer Andrew Carriere bring a long family tradition into his playing. His father was the legendary Creole fiddler “Bebe” Carriere. Carriere is a highly sought-after singer and accordion player in the West Coast Cajun music scene.

Andre Nigoghossian

Fiddler, accordionist, and singer Andre Nigoghossian, got his first taste of Cajun & Zydeco music in college. The infectious grooves of la musique de la Sud de La Louisiane made a lasting impression, and he’s quickly becoming one of the most sought-after musicians in the Bay Area Cajun scene.

Tom Stewart

Canadian, Tom Stewart, discovered the Cajun/Zydeco community in 2005. He is currently one of the go-to rhythm guitarists in the Bay Area’s Cajun band community and loves keeping the rhythm for The California Blue Runners!

Haywood Douresseau

Haywood Douresseau, another Louisiana Frenchman, developed an interest in Zydeco at an early age. Ten years ago, he went from dancer to musician as a scrubboard player and manager. Today, he rubs the board for The California Blue Runners as well as with other local bands.

David ""Killer"" Hymowitz

Killer has been the premier percussionist in the Cajun/Zydeco music scene for the past 30 years. He’s played with every notable Cajun band in the Bay Area in that time. Fortunately, he loves CBR as much as we love him!

Doors at 7:30pm ~ Show at 8pm

A tradition that started back in the 20th century, Ashkenaz’s Grateful Dead Night is always evolving, continuing on! Led by the best artists in the Bay Area, a revolving cast of incredibly talented musicians grace the stage each week, drawing from the Grateful Dead’s vast catalog to delight Deadheads and dancers of all generations.

Matt Hartle will be hosting this edition of Ashkenaz's Grateful Dead Night!

Guitarist Matt Hartle was born and raised in rural Pennsylvania, but his playing and his music resonate with a musical and cultural aesthetic that is pure San Francisco Bay Area. His playing exemplifies the uniquely American music form that had it's birth in the Bay Area during the late 1960's and early '70's - a fusion of blues, rock, folk, and jazz performed with an exploratory, and at times mystical, spirit and a penchant for genre bending and blending. After studying jazz and earning a BA in Jazz Performance from the University of North Texas, Matt continued his migration West where he ultimately found his way to the coastal enclave of Santa Cruz, CA where he has made his home since 1995.

Hartle is equally at home with, and notably proficient in, bluegrass, folk, straight-ahead jazz, fusion, and all manner of rock, country, and blues stylings. His signature playing style is marked by an instantly recognizable fluidity and sonic intensity which ebbs and flows in organic currents. Ecstatically melodic themes can erupt into blistering torrents of blues-rock fury or devolve into mysterious, dissonant, yearning explorations, or placid contemplations of a multitude of colors, forms, textures and moods. It's no surprise that his fretwork has garnered favorable comparisons to such psychedelic guitar luminaries as Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, and Steve Kimock, as well as a host of more traditional fretboard icons, including Lowell George and Mark Knopfler.

Though such comparisons are surely well deserved, the attentive listener quickly discovers that despite surface similarities to these guitar greats, Hartle's voice is distinctly his own, distinguished by a unique vocabulary and a complex, deeply engaging sense of phrasing and articulation, with a deep-rooted knowledge of musical style and idiom. To put it simply, Matt Hartle is saying things that haven't been said before.

A quick scan of the list of players he has collaborated with gives an indication of the dimensions of his musical affinities: Melvin Seals; Henry Kaiser; Greg Anton; Donna Jean Godchaux; Dave Hebert; Joe Craven; and Stu Allen to name only a few.

For the past four years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays at Michael's on Main. This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale - $20.00

GA DoS - $25.00

Doors at 6:00 PM - DJ With Folk Dance at 7:00 PM - Veesh Maria at 8:00 PM - DJ at 9:30 PM

Welcome to our annual Festa Junina! Where we celebrate our Brazilian Heritage with lots of music, dancing, good food and friendly community vibes.

This is an all ages event! Come Celebrate with us

Playing Live Forró Music: Veesh Maria

Festa Junina or June Festivals, "festivities that occur in the month of June"), also known as festas de São João for their part in celebrating the nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24), are the annual Brazilian celebrations adapted from European Midsummer that take place in the southern midwinter. These festivities, which were introduced by the Portuguese during the colonial period (1500–1822), are celebrated during the month of June nationwide. The festival is mainly celebrated on the eves of the Catholic solemnities of Saint Anthony, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Peter.

Dances throughout the festival surround "quadrilha". Most of these dances emerge from 19th-century Europe, which the Portuguese brought. The "quadrilha" features couple formations around a mock wedding whose bride and groom are the central focus of the dance. This reflects the fertility of the land. There are various types of dance within the category of quadrilha. Cana-Verde, a subcategory of fandango dance styles, are more popular in the south and are primarily improvised. Dances involving Bumba Meu Boi are also present during this festival. Here, the dance revolves around a woman desiring to eat an ox's tongue. Her husband kills the ox, to the dismay of the ox's owner. A healer enters and resuscitates the ox, and all participants celebrate.[2]

Accompanying these dances is a genre of music known as Forró. This traditional genre primarily uses accordions and triangles, focusing on the life and struggle of caipiras. The music greatly focuses on saudade, a feeling of nostalgia or forlorn, for rural farm life.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale: $20

GA DoS: $25

Doors at 7:00 PM - Show at 7:30 PM

Hosted by Elsa Touche, and featuring Coco Buttah, Jubilee, Dot Comme, and Vera!

Get ready for a night of fabulous fun and fierce entertainment, as Ashkenaz presents its very first Drag Show! Join hostess Elsa Touche (voted San Francisco's favorite drag queen by readers of the SF Weekly in 2020) and a dazzling group of local drag stars for this unique evening of drag performance: watch a fabulous show and even learn a few "drag dance moves" so you can dance along with a couple of numbers! It's the first drag show at the Ashkenaz!

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale: $25

GA DoS: $30

We're bringing you the best of country music and dancing in the Bay Area!

Doors at 7:00PM | Dance Lesson at 7:30PM | Show at 8:00PM

The big guy from out West and larger than life energy (he’s also 6’5’) performer, guitarist, singer, banjoist, songwriter, composer, entertainer, musical historian and teacher Mitch Polzak wears his heart on his sleeve and his playing in his heart.

Polzak performs rockabilly and 60’s country music with the religious fervor of Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash and delivers a Honky Tonk ballad with the sincerity of Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings. Mitch will bring a room to a fevered pitch of joyous energy on the dance floor and then tell you a story in a song like two old friends sitting at a kitchen table at midnight.

Join us for a dance lesson followed by a great nice of country music and dancing -- featuring the best country artists in the Bay!

Ticket Prices:

College students: $12 (ONLY AT THE DOOR - have your student ID ready)

GA Presale: $15

GA DoS: $20

Doors at 7:30pm ~ Show at 8pm

A tradition that started back in the 20th century, Ashkenaz’s Grateful Dead Night is always evolving, continuing on! Led by the best artists in the Bay Area, a revolving cast of incredibly talented musicians grace the stage each week, drawing from the Grateful Dead’s vast catalog to delight Deadheads and dancers of all generations.

Matt Hartle will be hosting this edition of Ashkenaz's Grateful Dead Night!

Guitarist Matt Hartle was born and raised in rural Pennsylvania, but his playing and his music resonate with a musical and cultural aesthetic that is pure San Francisco Bay Area. His playing exemplifies the uniquely American music form that had it's birth in the Bay Area during the late 1960's and early '70's - a fusion of blues, rock, folk, and jazz performed with an exploratory, and at times mystical, spirit and a penchant for genre bending and blending. After studying jazz and earning a BA in Jazz Performance from the University of North Texas, Matt continued his migration West where he ultimately found his way to the coastal enclave of Santa Cruz, CA where he has made his home since 1995.

Hartle is equally at home with, and notably proficient in, bluegrass, folk, straight-ahead jazz, fusion, and all manner of rock, country, and blues stylings. His signature playing style is marked by an instantly recognizable fluidity and sonic intensity which ebbs and flows in organic currents. Ecstatically melodic themes can erupt into blistering torrents of blues-rock fury or devolve into mysterious, dissonant, yearning explorations, or placid contemplations of a multitude of colors, forms, textures and moods. It's no surprise that his fretwork has garnered favorable comparisons to such psychedelic guitar luminaries as Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, and Steve Kimock, as well as a host of more traditional fretboard icons, including Lowell George and Mark Knopfler.

Though such comparisons are surely well deserved, the attentive listener quickly discovers that despite surface similarities to these guitar greats, Hartle's voice is distinctly his own, distinguished by a unique vocabulary and a complex, deeply engaging sense of phrasing and articulation, with a deep-rooted knowledge of musical style and idiom. To put it simply, Matt Hartle is saying things that haven't been said before.

A quick scan of the list of players he has collaborated with gives an indication of the dimensions of his musical affinities: Melvin Seals; Henry Kaiser; Greg Anton; Donna Jean Godchaux; Dave Hebert; Joe Craven; and Stu Allen to name only a few.

For the past four years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays at Michael's on Main. This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale - $20.00

GA DoS - $25.00

Doors at 6:30 PM - Presentation at 7:00 PM - Band & Tasting at 8:00 PM

You’ve heard of wine pairings with food, but have you ever experienced a wine pairing with a region’s music and dance? Join us for Ashkenaz’s new Wine Around the World Series. This one-of-a-kind multi-sensory cultural experience travels the globe pairing wine, music, and dance, resulting in perfect harmony.

Each event features lively performances from master musicians and dancers and in-depth presentations on the regional wines from the experts – each expressing their relationship with a shared culture.

In June the traditional ensemble Agapi Mou and Wine On Piedmont take us on a voyage to Greece.

As a four-piece ensemble that plays Greek traditional music, Agapi Mou emphasizes tradition -- no modern sound effects or drum machines, just violin, clarinet, hand drums, laouto, and voice. The name Agapi Mou means "my love" in Greek and describes the group's feelings for the music they play. For the Wine Around the World Event, members of the ensemble will educate us on their instrument's unique role in Greek music, and the way Dance, Food, and Wine intersect within Greek culture and music.

Aya Davidson -- violin/vocals

Greg Jenkins -- clarinet/vocals

Michael Garibaldi -- percussion/vocals

Alan Davidson -- laouto

Important details:

- This is a 21 and over event ONLY, no exceptions.

- No reservations for seating; seating is on a first come first serve basis.

- Ticketing is limited to 60 for this event.

- No outside food allowed - local caterer on site.

Tickets:

GA Presale: $50

GA DoS: $60

Every Sunday, 11 AM - 1 PM

Soul Sanctuary Dance, founded in 2003, is a weekly welcoming and inclusive all-ages community freestyle/ecstatic/shoes optional dance that supports free expression, community, physical and emotional health, and a spirit of generosity. We dance to an irresistible eclectic blend of music.

• We charge no admission fee and we are all-volunteer run, but you are invited to pay it forward at this link to enable us to pay our expenses and keep our chain of gifts alive through our dance: paypal.me/soulsanctuarydance (note: account name says Zachary Pine.) We also accept donations at the in-person dance.

• Our in-person and online dancers are equally important and cherished parts of our community. We include an online option because we know that some people can't be at our venue

• we are no longer requiring masks or vaccination

• Ashkenaz is wheelchair accessible.

• The organizers are Herb Heinz, Kristi Coombs, Michelle Blair, and Zach Pine. Reach us here.

Doors at 7:00 PM | Dance Lesson at 7:30 PM | Party at 8:00 PM

FAMILY FRIENDLY EDITION

Come join us on June 10th for a beautiful night of music and dance as Non Stop Bhangra brings its colorful production to Ashkenaz for a family friendly edition. Featuring a dance lesson, dance performances, live drums, djs, henna, beer & wine bar, and an open floor dance party with the Non Stop Bhangra crew.

A treat for the eyes and ears and one of a kind experience that will get your shoulders bouncing while smiling ear to ear, making you feel like you just stepped into a scene from a Bollywood film.

Watch, Learn, Participate, Enjoy! Family friendly fun for all ages!

Theme: Indian Attire encouraged but not required

Ticket Prices:

Kids Under 13: FREE!

GA Presale: $20

GA DoS: $25

Doors at 7:30 PM - Show at 8:00 PM

Pete Sawyer & The Left Hand Monkey Wrench Gang have taken Northern California by storm in 2022-2023, creating a high energy “all killer, no filler” Grateful Dead experience every time they take the stage.  Featuring unique combinations of many of the foremost interpreters of Grateful Dead music, they always deliver a well-curated exploration of the beloved Grateful Dead songbook!

Pete will be joined by:  
Scott Guberman (Phil Lesh, Live Dead ’69)
Jonny Mojo (Achilles Wheel, Matt Hartle)
Murph Murphy (Stu Allen, Poor Man’s Whiskey)
Anna Elva (Mark Karan, China Dolls)
Kara Cavanaugh (Melvin Seals, Terrapin Flyer)

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale: $20

GA DoS: $25

Doors at 7:00 PM - Dance Lesson at 7:30 PM - Show at 8:00 PM

Back Dimples is an electrifying new Zydeco band based in Oakland, CA. With a mission to ignite the dance floor, they serve up irresistible grooves that will compel even the most hesitant dancers to move their feet. Drawing inspiration from the greats like Clifton Chenier and Buckwheat Zydeco, Back Dimples infuses their music with a range of influences, including blues, R&B, jazz, Cumbia and ska. Their sound is a testament to the Bay Area’s diverse and vibrant music scene.

The band may be new, but it’s members are no strangers to the Bay Area music scene. Back Dimples is composed of seasoned musicians, each bringing their own unique flavor to the mix. Craig Berletti leads the group with his soulful accordion playing and vocals, anchoring the bands sound. Tony Owen’s guitar work adds a fiery edge, while Dave Eagle’s percussion adds a funk and syncopated flavor. Tarah Williams lends her powerhouse vocals to the mix, and Lorenzo Loera holds down the low end on bass and adds his own vocal stylings, while Beau Bradberry on drums brings an infectious and dynamic groove to the rhythm section.

With their deep roots in Zydeco tradition and their fearless exploration of new sounds, Back Dimples is sure to get you moving and keep you grooving all night long.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale: $20

GA DoS: $25

Doors at 6:30 PM - Show at 7:00 PM

Cafe Taqsim, formerly Cafe Bellie, is a Bay Area-based Middle Eastern and Central Asian dance benefit concert where novice and professional dancers can connect, perform, and share their art in service of the community.

Cafe Taqsim is a place for dancers from across genres to connect, appreciate, experiment thoughtfully, and share joyfully. Each Cafe Taqsim begins with a free dance class, and our vendors provide fun and fresh wares for you to enjoy. The cafe at Ashkenaz is a wonderful place to grab a drink or a bite before and during the show.

Cafe Taqsim is a multi-genre, open-stage, community-focused charity event, featuring the dances of the Middle East and Central Asia. Whether it’s American Tribal Style Belly Dance, Moroccan Guedra, Contemporary Persian, or classical Afghan, Cafe Taqsim provides a space for novice dancers to share their craft in a professional setting, and professional dancers to unveil fusion pieces, solos, troupes, and more.

As Cafe Bellie, Amy Luna, Lisa Tilton, and Gail Corrado raised over $10,000 for the Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center of Berkeley. In 2019, Cafe Bellie has re-branded as Cafe Taqsim, and we are expanding our charity partners to those that not only serve women, but also those that serve immigrants and refugees from the Middle East and Central Asia, and provide crisis support for communities in Syria, Palestine, Yemen and beyond.

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale: $15

GA DoS: $20

Doors at 7:00PM - Dance Lesson at 7:30PM - Show at 8:00PM

Tom Rigney is one of the premier American Roots Music fiddle players on the planet. His band, Tom Rigney and Flambeau, specializes in blazing Cajun and Zydeco two-steps, low-down Blues, funky New Orleans grooves, Boogie Woogie piano, and heartbreakingly beautiful ballads and waltzes. Much of the repertoire is composed by Rigney, but they mix in some classics from the Cajun/New Orleans songbook. Along the way you may pick up a trace of Rigney’s Irish roots, or echoes of folk music styles–it just makes the musical gumbo that much tastier.

Flambeau showcases Rigney’s fiery, virtuoso fiddling, his charismatic stage presence, and his range and originality as a composer. He and Flambeau have forged a unique sound that blends American Roots styles into something original and HOT–mixing irresistible grooves with deep musicality and spectacular soloing. Rigney’s high-energy showmanship pulls the audience into his performances and makes them feel they are a part of the music and the show.

Tickets:

Presale GA: $20

GA DoS: $25

Doors at 7:30 - DJ at 8:00 PM - Show at 9:00 PM

DISCLAIMER: these tickets WILL sell out fast (!!!)

Join Ashkenaz for a very special installment of our Golden Genre Series! June is Caribbean Heritage Month, and in celebration, we bring one of the most popular artists in Ashkenaz's history; the Legendary Don Carlos!

A singer whose lyrical messages echo the spiritual side of the late Bob Marley, Don Carlos has led the cause of conscious reggae for more than three decades. Born Ervin Spencer, he grew up in the impoverished Waterhouse district of Western Kingston, Jamaica, along with other future reggae greats including King Tubby, King Jammy, and Junior Reid. Carlos started popular Jamaican vocal trio Black Uhuru in 1973, then left for a solo career in the ’80s and ’90s that began with his solo album debut, “Suffering,” along the way joining a reunion of the original members of Black Uhuru in 1992. For most of his life Carlos has been an influential singer of conscious lyrics – songs of peace, love, politics, understanding, freedom – all driven by the classic reggae sounds and dance rhythms he helped popularize in such albums as “Day to Day Living” and “Them Never Know a Natty Dread.”

Don‘s popularity continues to increase and grow. He is now one of the most demanded roots reggae artists in the business and still tours today!

Ticket Prices:

GA Presale: $45

GA DoS: $60

VIP Access: $100