Yoshi's, in Jack London Square celebrated its fiftieth year last year of serving up fresh and delicious food and some of the finest music on the planet! February 2022, was one of my favourite months of shows at Yoshis was when they presented some of the best drummers today. With, Simon Phillips, Tommy Igoe, Pancho Sanchez, Billy Cobham and Steve Gadd. These shows were all special, especially for us drum lovers. And the audience was full of 'em! Yoshi's showcased all, (separately), and what excellent shows they were! I caught all the shows and for drums lovers like myself and the friend I brought with me, they were memorable gigs for sure. Tommy Igoe also had a residency there and played once a month. He always puts on a great show. One of my favourite shows of all of last year was when Tommy played WITH David Garibaldi "Double Drums" ....the two played side by side on the same stage. That was an amazing show, something truly magical happened on the Yoshi's stage that night. Unforgettable indeed. The drummers' show blogs are all up in the blog section, so please check them out.
Lets talk about the venue. Yoshi's in Jack London Square feels like a pretty special place. As supper clubs dwindle away, both with the changing times and Covid decreasing the number of venues alive and well today, its hard to find such a special place such as this little gem in the heart of Oakland. The food is fresh and delicious and the music pairs nicely. You can eat in the restuarant or in the music venue side whilst you enjoy the show. Your choice. My friend and I had a variety of sushi before the show, on the restaurant side before going into the venue, and it was a perfect start to the night of musical magic!
A little about the history of this club...Yoshi’s began in Berkeley in 1972. It began as a mere sushi bar, owned by founder and namesake, Yoshie Akiba, alongside her two friends Kaz Kajimura, and Hiroyuki Hori. Over the next 50+ years, Yoshi’s built itself into one of the world’s most respected jazz venues, earning a reputation as the Bay Area’s premier location for great Japanese cuisine and jazz music. Today, Yoshi’s is an award-winning 310-seat live performance venue with a state-of-the-art sound system. Yoshi's occupies 17,000 square feet in the heart of Oakland’s Jack London Square. The venue has expanded its focus to include broader genres suitable to a variety of musical tastes, so keep checking to find an artist you'd like to see. Many times, Yoshi's puts on two shows a night, the early and late shows. Upcoming shows include one of my faves, Robert Cray, he will be playing two nights, in January, the 23 & 24th (2023).
I highley suggest experiencing Yoshi's dinner and shows. Its a clean and friendly, nicely run venue that offer both fresh food and interesting drinks, with the added bonus of top notch music in a small hall with excellent sound. Every seat in the house is close to the stage. And its a fun venue to see shows. It is always a no hassle evening due to the 75 minute shows and the super easy parking. That's one of the best bits... the car park is inexpensive (around $5), and less than a 60 second walk to the door of the venue!
Click here to see the individual blogs on these drummers. (Starting with Simon Philips)
Yoshi's is at: 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: 510.238.9200
Comments