Live Acoustic Music Near Albany, California

If you've never experienced hearing talented musicians perform in a small, intimate environment, you are in for a treat.

House concerts are a growing trend across the country, where people invite friends and neighbors into their homes for an up-close concert experience. And there are many house concerts being held in and around the Albany area that you can check out - you just need to contact the host and ask to be invited.

Churches and non-profit community groups around Albany host occasional coffeehouses that feature traditional folk musicians and other acoustic artists as a way of bringing the community together.

In addition, live acoustic music can be heard in several listening rooms and small theaters in and around the Albany area. Local vineyards and restaurants and cafes in the area sometimes host nationally touring musicians as well.

Below you can find a listing of upcoming shows in these smaller venues by nationally and internationally touring artists.

Upcoming Acoustic Shows

January 22
Berkeley
The Bistro (Neighborhood Bar)
Hayward, CA
January 22
Ivy Room (Neighborhood Bar)
Albany, CA
January 22
Cafe Du Nord (Nightclub)
San Francisco, CA
January 23
Sweetwater Music Hall (Listening Room)
Mill Valley, CA
January 23
Freight and Salvage (Small Theater)
Berkeley, CA
January 24
Freight and Salvage (Small Theater)
Berkeley, CA
January 24
Cafe Du Nord (Nightclub)
San Francisco, CA
January 25
Get a ticket @ https://bit.ly/januaryqptix and join us in The Zoom, and we'll donate 25% of ticket sales to Bay Area Cancer Connections!
QuaranPalooza (Online Concert Stream)
Hayward, CA
January 25
Free local music and comedy all day to celebrate 10 years of Dave the Drummer. Solo artists from 12-3, comedy from 3-5, full bands 5:30 till they kick us out. My band Melinda and the Meander goes on around 6:20.
Winters Tavern (Neighborhood Bar)
Pacifica, CA
January 25
Freight and Salvage (Small Theater)
Berkeley, CA
January 25
Jim Kweskin's shows radiate charm, humor, sophistication and talent. His endearing sense of good humor and interpretations make his performances a delight. Kweskin is recognized as one of the best interpreters of the great American songbook.
The Hillside Club (Small Theater)
Berkeley, CA
January 25
Almost Famous Wine (Listening Room)
Livermore, CA
January 26
Blue Note Napa (Listening Room)
Napa, CA
January 26
Amelia Ray is The Interpreter. The San Francisco native has performed her soul-rock compositions across Europe and is featured at the 2024 National Women’s Music Festival.
Ivy Room (Neighborhood Bar)
Albany, CA
January 31
Chris Jones is a singer, a songwriter, a guitarist, and, thanks to his role hosting SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction, one of the most widely heard broadcasting voices in bluegrass music.
The Backroom (Listening Room)
Berkeley, CA
February 1
Fifth Street Farms (House Concert)
Berkeley, CA
February 1
Las Positas Vineyards (Vineyard)
Livermore, CA
February 1
McNear's Mystic Theatre (Small Theater)
Petaluma, CA
February 2
Ivy Room (Neighborhood Bar)
Albany, CA
February 2
Freight and Salvage (Small Theater)
Berkeley, CA
February 2
Blue Note Napa (Listening Room)
Napa, CA
February 6
Sweetwater Music Hall (Listening Room)
Mill Valley, CA
February 6
The Back Room presents The Fantastical Storytelling Music of Stephanie Strange with Dream Weaver, Melinda Kausek
The Backroom (Listening Room)
Berkeley, CA
February 6
Freight and Salvage (Small Theater)
Berkeley, CA
February 7
Hopmonk Tavern Novato (Cafe, Restaurant or Coffee Shop)
Novato, CA
February 8
Almost Famous Wine (Listening Room)
Livermore, CA
February 8
Husband-wife team: Virtuoso solo guitar and dueling harmonies
San Gregorio General Store (Cafe, Restaurant or Coffee Shop)
San Gregorio, CA
February 8
Hopmonk Tavern Novato (Cafe, Restaurant or Coffee Shop)
Novato, CA
February 13
Sweetwater Music Hall (Listening Room)
Mill Valley, CA
February 14
Sweetwater Music Hall (Listening Room)
Mill Valley, CA
February 15
Sweetwater Music Hall (Listening Room)
Mill Valley, CA
February 16
Ivy Room (Neighborhood Bar)
Albany, CA
February 16
Grammy-nominated “an absolute master” (No Depression), Molsky transports audiences with his authentic & personal interpretations of rarities from the Southern Appalachian songbook & musical traditions from around the globe.
The Hillside Club (Small Theater)
Berkeley, CA
February 22
Jenerator's unique sound is a delightful mix of Americana, blues, and jam-rock, with plenty of room for the rich combination of stellar instrumentalists to shine alongside bandleader Jen Rund's compelling, smoky vocals and deep bass grooves.
Golden Gate Bistro (Novato) (Cafe, Restaurant or Coffee Shop)
Novato, CA
February 22
A gang of sweet angels punching you in the heart
Freight and Salvage (Small Theater)
Berkeley, CA
February 22
The Backroom (Listening Room)
Berkeley, CA
February 22
Husband-wife team: Virtuoso solo guitar and dueling harmonies
Old St. Hilary's Landmark (Listening Room)
Tiburon, CA
February 22
Jackson Emmer @ The FogHouse
Fog House Concerts (House Concert)
San Francisco, CA
February 23
Amelia Ray is The Interpreter. The San Francisco native has performed her soul-rock compositions across Europe and is featured at the 2024 National Women’s Music Festival.
Bazaar Cafe (Cafe, Restaurant or Coffee Shop)
San Francisco, CA
February 23
Sweetwater Music Hall (Listening Room)
Mill Valley, CA
February 26
This unique collaborative effort between two uniquely gifted musicians is bound to be a revelation to traditional music fans on several counts. Rob Ickes is a longtime, well-established instrumental giant, and Trey Hensley is newly arrived in Music City,
Sweetwater Music Hall (Listening Room)
Mill Valley, CA
February 28
Brick and Mortar Music Hall (Neighborhood Bar)
San Francisco, CA
March 1
Almost Famous Wine (Listening Room)
Livermore, CA
March 1
Al Stewart is perhaps best known for his hits ‘Year of the Cat” from the Platinum album of the same name and the Platinum follow up album “Time Passages.” But his career spans five decades as a key figure in British music.
McNear's Mystic Theatre (Small Theater)
Petaluma, CA
March 4
The Bistro (Neighborhood Bar)
Hayward, CA
March 5
Winters Tavern (Neighborhood Bar)
Pacifica, CA
March 6
Hotel Utah (Neighborhood Bar)
San Francisco, CA
March 6
Jenerator's unique sound is a delightful mix of Americana, blues, and jam-rock, with plenty of room for the rich combination of stellar instrumentalists to shine alongside bandleader Jen Rund's compelling, smoky vocals and deep bass grooves.
Peri's Tavern (Brewery)
Fairfax, CA
March 7
Freight and Salvage (Small Theater)
Berkeley, CA
March 7
Songwriter, singer, slide guitar and clawhammer banjo player based in Nashville, TN.
Sweetwater Music Hall (Listening Room)
Mill Valley, CA
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Places to see live acoustic music in and around Albany, California

House Concerts

Dala's Nest House Concerts (Menlo Park)
Fifth Street Farms (Berkeley)
Fog House Concerts (San Francisco)
KC Turner Presents (San Francisco)
Poplar Playhouse (Berkeley)
SYLA Presents House Concerts (Oakland)
The Monkey House (Berkeley)

Listening Rooms

Almost Famous Wine (Livermore)
Blue Note Napa (Napa)
Club Fox (Redwood City)
Luigi's Deli Martinez (Martinez)
Old St. Hilary's Landmark (Tiburon)
Sound Union (Redwood City)
Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley)
The Backroom (Berkeley)
The Lost Church (San Francisco)
The Sound Room (Oakland)

Folk Music Coffeehouses

Devil's Mountain Coffee House (Walnut Creek)

Vineyards & Breweries

Adobe Road Winery (Petaluma)
JaM Cellars (Napa)
Las Positas Vineyards (Livermore)
McGrail Vineyards and Winery (Livermore)
Wooden Valley Winery (Fairfield)

Cafes, Restaurants & Coffee Shops

Bazaar Cafe (San Francisco)
Blue Barn Novato (Novato)
Chit Chat Cafe (Pacifica)
Golden Gate Bistro (Novato) (Novato)
Hopmonk Tavern Novato (Novato)
Red Rock Coffee (Mountain View)
Redwood Cafe (Cotati)
San Gregorio General Store (San Gregorio)
Simple Pleasures Cafe (San Francisco)
The Barnyard Epicurean Wine Bar (Danville)

Small Theaters

Bankhead Theater (Livermore)
Campbell Theater (Martinez)
Empress Theatre (Vallejo)
Freight and Salvage (Berkeley)
McNear's Mystic Theatre (Petaluma)
Sebastiani Theatre (Sonoma)
The Guild Theatre (Menlo Park)
The Hillside Club (Berkeley)
Uptown Theatre (Napa)

Outdoor Music Series

The Golden Gate Bandshell (San Francisco)
Outer Sunset Farmers Market & Mercantile (San Francisco)
The Whale's Tail (San Francisco)
San Francisco Civic Center (San Francisco)

Bars & Nightclubs

Antlers Tavern (Pinole)
Apple Jacks Inn (La Honda)
Bottom Of the Hill (San Francisco)
Brick and Mortar Music Hall (San Francisco)
Hotel Utah (San Francisco)
Ivy Room (Albany)
Kensington Circus Pub (Kensington)
Lucca Bar and Grill (Benicia)
Nickie's (San Francisco)
No Name Bar (Sausalito)
Starling Bar (Sonoma)
The Big Easy (Petaluma)
The Bistro (Hayward)
The Lucky Horseshoe (San Francisco)
The Make Out Room (San Francisco)
Winters Tavern (Pacifica)