Live Music in Berlin

There is no arguing the fact that, in terms of sheer quantity, Berlin’s music scene is dominated by electronic fare. But that doesn’t mean that there is no room for those of us who like our tunes the old-fashioned way: played on real instruments by real people. Several members of our staff here at the Heart of Gold Hostel are musicians, and occasionally they will get up on the little stage in our bar and treat our guests to some rock ‘n roll. There are, of course, many other great venues for live music in Berlin. Here are a few of them:

Quasimodo

Berlin’s oldest and most venerable jazz club. Dizzy Gilespie, Art Blakey and Chet Baker, among others, have played here. Not purely a jazz affair nowadays; funk, soul, blues, bossa nova etc. are also on the menu.

SO36

A punk rock institution right in the thick of things in Kreuzberg, though other genres are also represented, sometimes by big-name bands.

White Trash Fast Food

Not just a burger joint, tattoo parlor and club, but also frequent host to rock ‘n roll bands of all kinds. There is a “Diamond Lounge” downstairs for concerts, but many of the shows take place in the restaurant.

Yaam

The home of Berlin’s reggae scene. Kind of a little commune, with African and Caribbean food, a beach bar, a half-pipe, a basketball court, workshops for kids… Will probably have to move soon to make way for the construction of office buildings.

Wild at Heart

Several concerts per week, mostly punk, mostly lesser-known bands.