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Categories: Bars, Music Venues
Neighborhood: UptownMon. 8:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Wed-Sat. 9:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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What a GREAT club! Such a diverse array of performers passing through! Punk, pop, free jazz, rock, rockabilly, you name it. I've been here several times and have always had a blast. And the hot dog lady outside is awesome. Right near BART, too!
I really like how the let people who have just come from a show at the Fox into the club for free when you show them your stub. A very cool idea which makes your evening all the more fun. A great way to end the night! Check out The Blank Club if you're in San Jose. It's Larry Trujillo's (Uptown owner) other club.
Rock onward!
I think I like it! I don't know why I thought this was some sort of blues or jazz place. I have passed this place a million times. It is smack next door to sears. Last Sat I was talking with Chante the hotdog stand lady and after an hour I decided to go in.
I met some guy that was a part of the band and the next thing you know I was drinking Addios Motherfuckers with him! I also thought this place was small, then I learned they a whole other side area and an outside smoking area in the bar. What a nice, well built facilitly! You can tell they put money into building the bar itself. It looked like cherry wood or something. I was actually amazed. I read the reviews about the women not paying attention to female customers but I don't know yet. A male took our order.
Sorry, I don't know how much the drinks are but it appeared fair. I later found out they had BURLESQUE DANCERS. Wow, this was a real treat!!! How clever to have that in Oakland. I would have rather seen a half buck naked G-string horny stripper but when your hungry a cracker taste good.
I enjoyed the show and found the almost 7foot girl dress like the bride of frankenstein entertaining. She had glowing titties and had some sort of whips with balls on the ends that made me jump everytime she smacked them. Should we be tipping these ladies?
Well, they happen to have a band as well which was great! What place gives you band, plenty of space and a burlesque show? They also have 3 bathrooms which 1 has several stalls for women which I like. I don't know how this place is without show or band but I WILL DEFINITLY BE BACK. As far as the patrons, it appeared to be mostly friendly crowd. I will have to steady it more closely next time.
No cover and on some occasions the cover is $5-$15. Not bad considering you have LIVE ENTERTAINMENT! Telegraph is now one of Oakland's hot spots because of the entertainment in that same facinity area. Check out their website and the place! Mama can I dance half naked at club uptown for free drinks?
I have been wanting to check this place out for awhile now. Several of my friend's bands have had shows here, but for whatever reason, I never could make it out. What finally got me here was for the memorial service of a good friend of mine. Yes, a memorial service. Definitely not a typical event you would find at a music venue. Nonetheless, it was the perfect place for Paul's memorial. He loved performing here, and now I can see why.
I absolutely loved the layout of this place. There was a wall separating the stage from the bar. Some people hate this, but I like having a little barrier when I need a break from the music and just want to chill at the bar. Speaking of the bar - gorgeous. Most bars in music venues are pretty crappy. This bar was aesthetically pleasing to say the least. The bartenders were WONDERFUL. Very friendly and on top of things. They also had the nicest things to say about Paul after I thanked them for helping us out for the memorial. It was really cool that they took a few minutes to share with me some Paul stories even though they were obviously busy.
Beautiful venue. Gracious staff. I can't wait to finally see a show here!
Excellent bar for live music or just hanging out before/after a show at the Fox! Staff are pretty quick and drinks are STIFF. I hear the actual bar is historic, it's gorgeous.
Standing at this bar is like trying to order a drink from the cast of The Craft, only the bartendresses are far bitchier. If you don't have a penis, they aren't going to look at you, let alone serve you.
My lovely lady friend and I sat smack in the middle of the bar, in the potential eye-line of three of the four rockabilly knock-offs slinging drinks behind it, and could not get a drink for 30 minutes. It's not that they were busy--they served every single guy to the right or left of us--they just didn't want anything to do with women. How can we be sure? Because when you make googly eyes at everything with a dick and purposefully avert your gaze any time it comes near some female eyes, it's pretty clear.
This was not a phenomenon unique to our experience, either. Both times that we went to the bar (the second time fully expecting to kill a good 15 minutes waiting) the other ladies near us complained of similar difficulty getting the attention of a bar wench. Most of them slunk away and left drink orders to their male companions, but unfortunately for us, that night we had none and were left to fend for ourselves.
The staff was only one (though a big one) aspect of this two-star rating, however. When I finally did get my drink, a Hoegaarden, it was totally flat and tasted a little watered down (though that might have been because it was FLAT). I drank a few sips and set it aside.
The douchebag crowd (which granted may have been the fault of the headlining band that night...) was another drawback. Hey, dude with a skateboard? *Probably* don't want to carry that thing horizontally anymore--you smacked my friend in the back and me in the stomach. What are you, one of the 3 Stooges? And fatty? You might not have noticed me because I'm in all black, but I AM a person, and I'm occupying the space you just rudely waddled into. Use your bigness for good, not evil!
Finally, in further demonstration of how little The Uptown seems to care about its female clientele, the bathroom was RIDICULOUS. By midnight there was not a single paper product left in the entire room, apart from all over the floor. Even the TP tubes had been pulled out and used as wipes. Gross.
I saw a fun band called Mystic Knights of the Cobra (http://www.myspace.com...) play here Saturday night and this place is awesome. Sure, the floors were sticky, sure the crowd was tattooed and ruckus, but It's spacious and the bartenders are really nice. They even let me go buy a hotdog from the hotdog vendor outside and eat it inside. BUT OMG the drinks are EXPENSIVE! They make them REALLY STRONG, but $8.50 for a Vodka Redbull?!? Really? Really?
Briefly stated: Yes, really.
I love The Uptown.
The staff there is top notch. The bartenders pour the drinks nice and strong, and while I've been there several times before, the last time I went, I was running a merch booth at an event, and both Larry and Wendy were very helpful!
The Uptown is my favorite place in Oakland.
I like this place, and every time I go there I see a different scene of people. I never fit in, but it doesn't bother me too much that all the girls have bangs and leopard print clothing, and the men Rockabillied their way back into another century. I go in and enjoy watching the people around me as much as I enjoy the wild and crazy show up on stage. I have seen fashion shows, Burlesque shows and live music here. All have been fun and unique from one another.
There is an outside area in the back to smoke and chat with people away from the loud music and bar.
Once when I was there they had a special for $2 Bud Light with Lime which made me try Bud Light with Lime. I am not sure this is a good thing. To make of for this they usually have a good selection of beers on tap, but sometimes they run out of beer and you ask for beer one-out, beer two-out, and then you drink Bud Light with Lime.
Bartenders are nice enough, but you have to compete with the people who are in the scene and know everyone by name. I tried showing my cleavage to get the attention of the bartender, and it worked great, but I am not sure if it will work again in the future. Updates on that to follow!
It is really easy to meet awesome people here and the shows are fun, especially if you're extremely drunk. The bartenders make a mean ginger ale and jack, even though it's just ginger ale and jack. I would also like to thank the blonde chick who came up to me with a secret. That secret was that her guy friend liked my legs, it was like kindergarten, it was cute. We were instant friends.
I also like the lady who runs the hot dog cart outside and I like the dudes who stand next to their hogs and converse with 2 awesome babes (my friend and I).
I would also recommend coming here to see a show because the stage area is pretty cool and it's the perfect size. I saw The Germs play last night and they kinda sucked because Shane West is the lead singer but whatever, I had more fun being pushed by crusties. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love the Uptown and I can't wait to come back.
EDIT: Actually maybe I won't be back for awhile because someone just told me that I was "the drunk chick making out with everyone in the pit." I don't remember this. Why am I always losing my dignity in Oakland? Why.
Great Oakland spot! 50% bar, 50% theater, 100% good times! Came to a DYL here last month and had a blast(as usual). They've got about ten beers on tap including Fat Tire and Boont Amber.
Uptown has a large screen on the bar side where you can watch the band playing on the other side if it's too crowded/loud for your liking.
And for my fellow street meat cart stalkers: the bacon hot dog cart takes up regular residence right outside the Uptown! It's no Mission district bacon wrapped hot dog, but it'll do in a pinch! It can't be all Fonzie all the time, you gotta have some Richie Cunningham now and then...
Bottom Line: Whether you're a music fan looking for a good live band, or a beer fan looking for a good live brew, you're likely to find both at Uptown.
I was lucky to get in to see a $20 Green Day (local band few songs on radio) here. There's nothing like being 20 feet from a huge band like this. The stage was small, but big enough for the band to run around. The sound was off, but the band kept playing.
It seems the problems where with the drums and microphones, a lot of feedback. At one point in the show, Billie tossed the mircophone against the wall in a moment of rage.
I would see another show here easily. The BART is right there, the bouncers and security were cool and they have (pricey) drinks.
I really don't see why people say this place is expensive. Have you gotten a drink in "the city" lately??? Oh no my friend, the drinks here are reasonably priced for where we live. I've been here twice now and tried their famed raspberry lemon drop on my 1st visit. I had 2 and then switched to my usual vodka tonicl. The r.l.d.'s were really yummy and tasty! I do enjoy them but I'm not much of a sweet drinker so 2 was enough. Back to the price...they are $6 well and $7 call - that's not bad at all!!
Moving on...this venue is great!! I love the live room and the fact that they have a projection screen in the bar area is fantastic!!! You don't miss any of the show that's happening in the other room while you are getting your well made drink from the hot bartendress. Did I not mention that the bartenders are very easy on the eyes? OMG they totally are!! Any way, the upstairs space is awesome, dark and loungey or you can proceed to the balcony and watch the show from above. There is also an outdoor area which is great to hang out at even for those who are not carcinogenic inclined ;)
This is a great spot. The staff were friendly, the drinks were well-mixed/poured, and the atmosphere was good. The bar side was large enough for the Friday night crowd and the long bar had 4 quick-serving bartenders. Near the back you can step into the nightclub side where a stage dominates one end of the hall and the rest is nearly all dance floor. Back in the bar, the music volume was good and the nightclub scene is simulcast on an elevated screen.
Best of all, not only does Uptown allow you to bring in food (assuming you clean up after yourself), but the bartenders can recommend a couple area restaurants that will deliver here!
Did you see "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist?" Last night was kind of like that (minus the drunk bitch, creepy skank, and awkward sex in the studio).
We were across the street about to enter the Fox Theater to see Franz Ferdinand when we learned that Green Day was playing a show here!!! We waited almost 3 hours anxiously hoping that we'd make it in before the max capacity was reached and it was awesome! The concert space was a long and narrow room with mediocre sound equipment, but I must thank Uptown for cramming as many people in as possible and having a decent ventilation system!
OK, so 3.5 is my real rating, but I'll bump up to four merely for the fact that there was a long line for the men's room but not one at all for the women's! Nice! That hardly ever happens.
So we came here to see Green Day -- got in line before 6 p.m. outside cuz it was one ticket per person, at the door only. Managed to meet some fun people in line at least. Sure, you can cut in line if you give me beer! Thanks girl in the "Corn Bread" sweatshirt!
Anyway, doors opened at 8 p.m. ... we got in around 8:45ish ... the place was PACKED! Truly sardine-can-worthy in there. At least it didn't smell like sardines ... People kept streaming in for quite some time. It was tight. I went to the bar and got snubbed by the bartenders multiple times for dudes who were near me, but whatevs. I got over it. But then making my way back in was a challenge with a beer in each hand (OK, pear cider in one hand, mmm). Some douche bag bumped into me, proceeded NOT to apologize but rather laugh and make a rude comment when the beer (or was it cider?) splashed down my sleeve. But I called him an ass-wipe so at least that felt slightly better.
Anyway, the Uptown did a decent job with this show. I was a little annoyed that they didn't sell earplugs anywhere, but I guess not too surprising for a club this size. The worst was just how tightly packed we were, hard to move in or out of the crowd. But we kinda expected that being Green Day in a small venue for $20.
Not sure I can really review the Uptown since I only stopped here once after a show at the Fox but I had no problems ordering drinks probably because I have a penis (sorry @Renee N) but it was a dude bartender so maybe that was it. And no rockabillies but again it was mostly peeps getting out of the y3 show.
Why five stars?
It's not just because of the drinks, and the bands and the other shows it's because...
THERE'S A BACON DOG CART OUTSIDE.
My quest for an Oakland Bacon Dog is over, and it was good.
Live show was nice. The drinks are pretty cheap!
I see that many ppl like this place, as their local watering hole... I can see that.. but as for me and my saturday night quest, it did not fit the script'. So, my friends decided to think outside the box and forgo the usual places in the city... I followed...it was almost like a blind date with Uptown.
I went, I made brief eye contact, had one drink, and left disappointed.
They had a particular fund raiser that night with some sort of burlesque theme... very odd and makeshift.
Gin and tonic was good, although not cheap for the location or ambience we were in...
yes there was a hot dog cart lady right outside...probably the highlight of the my night...
never again...
I've been living in the neighborhood since The Uptown opened, and unlike many of my other neighborhood bars, I've been to this one a number of times. It's a serviceable live music venue with a few flaws, but overall the best of its kind on the East Bay.
The good: a video screen showing the stage from the bar area so you can see if the band you're interested in has started their set.
The bad: there is no way to order a drink while watching the band. How about a little beer-only bar on the music side? You'd make a lot of money.
The good: They take credit cards at the bar.
The bad: Putting your credit card at the bar is a great way to spend too much money on drinks.
The good: there is a guy selling bacon-wrapped hot dogs outside.
The bad: bacon-wrapped hot dogs? Oh my.
I have a feeling the opening of the Fox will push the Uptown's business to another level. I sure do hope so.
I love this place!
I've only been on Mondays for Hubba Hubba burlesque, but I love it! The bartenders are always super friendly and attentive.
The burlesque performers are also really entertaining and always worth seeing.
So the uptown used to be the Box and correct me if I am wrong but it has not changed much. Well I don't know about the bacon dog cart outside, that's not my scene.
I went to see a band here with some friends a few months ago.
Correction~I went to see some friends and a band, a band with horns, loud, solid, good horns was playing and it totally convinced me that I need to get out of the house more on a Saturday night and down to Uptown Oakland.
This place is a fun and often overlooked venue.
OK, went back for the anniversary party last night.
First of all, Anna G. rocks for making me step out of my box for the poppy show. And by "box", I mean outside of my "metalhead with an oldies problem who is currently going through a Debbie Harry phase" box. I have eclectic music taste...one of my many esoteric idiosynchrasies...don't judge.
Anywhoo....even though I still think the cover charges are exorbitant and ridiculous, this club certainly %$#&ing rules. The pours are generous, the art on the walls is pretty slick, the bartenders are adorable and have super fabulous tattoos (of which I covet...my aversion for needles has limited my number of tattoos and piercings....=/), the hot dog cart outside is reasonably-priced (although I'd rather eat at Flora next door...failing miserably at finding the sugar daddy to finance that habit), and the acoustics are pretty decent. Should you get claustrophobic or need a drink, there is a large screen with the act televised in the bar.
Let's put it this way, last night's show put a much-needed smile on my face, extra spring in my step, and was the exhilarating experience that made me unequivocally proclaim that Oakland is way %$#@ING better than whatever city you're in because we have Uptown and The Lovemakers... Damn I'm poor now...
Drunk Yelping! Woo!
OK, it's been a long week and I really was totally content with doing something…
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I totally dig this place. Yes the bartenders can be ...well like every other bartender in a club... they know they got what you want and that you;ll wait for it. Other than the hit and miss bar service, and don't get me wrong there are some nights the service is great, I love this place. The sound is usually really good. There is an outside smoking area, and a mezzanine wich is quite fun! I've seen many shows there. I've seen everything from local bands barely filling the floor to Green Day bringing the walls down...literally, people were tearing the walls apart! I've never had a bad time here, and will continue to go back over and over.
I really liked this place! It was the 4th of July, and it was pretty empty at 11pm, when we arrived, but it picked up by 12:30-1. The locale is really cool. There's a large dancing area with a stage, a patio area for the smokers, and two very dimmly lit lounge areas upstairs that overlook the dancefloor and the bar. The drinks were good and not overly priced. I mean we got two shots of patron, a lemondrop with chambord and a rum&coke all for $29!! I call that a deal! The bartenders were hit and miss. Erin (full sleeved tattooed) was awesome, but the other girl with the short black hair should work on her interaction with customers! There's always different stuff going on at the club. Check out their website. I'm definitely coming back and I'm going to rent out the lounge area for my birthday!! Woot woot!
Have YOU seen Jessica P.'s boobies? Well, I have. Err, mostly. Homegirl rocked the pasties and tassels last night for the Hubba Hubba burlesque review and shimmied the rest of us under the table. Quite literally the definition of "hot stuff," beyond just what we see from our list of Yelp compliments.
Oh yeah, the Uptown. Sorry, but this is your brain on boobies. Raspberry lemon drop for $7 (a lemon drop from the Alley is $8. I love the Alley, but sit on that fact for a second). Sexy, dark atmosphere. Adventurous yet subtle art on the walls. Separate bar and stage area. They have rock shows here featuring local bands all the time, so I'll definitely be back. Even without the promise of boobies.
I finally went to Uptown Club in May during a grand tour of Oakland. I've been wanting to come up to see Larry Trujillo's new spot. I knew him of course for running the Blank Club in San Jose. It was good to see Larry upon walking through the door. He was shocked to see me I'm sure. I was there for the Hubba Hubba review and returned a few times since. It kinda reminds me of The Blank Club but much bigger. There is a cool upstairs and a back porch area for smokers or whoever wants to drink outside. The hot dog cart is amazing! Many thank yous to my friend for getting me out of San Jose for that weekend!
Awesome bar/venue and the best sound in the East Bay (unless your band is huge enough to play at the new Fox Theater). Even if they were, after attending the opening of the Fox and paying $9 for a basic whiskey cocktail, I would highly recommend you run across the street to the Uptown for pre- and post-concert libations. Your wallet will thank you. Plus the bartenders are some really nice ladies :)
I compare it to venues like The Rickshaw Stop and Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco so the shows are priced very similarly to what I would expect. But if you're feelin' poor there's always the free first Friday shows to check out with $2 PBRs!
A short BART ride from the city got me here to catch some music. The acoustics of the space seem a little touchy depending on if the performers think they sound better when it's cranked up to 11. But hard to blame the venue for that (although the guy on the mixing board could put his foot down). One nice thing is that they had a video feed of the stage set up above the stage, which was helpful (I was told) for shorter peeps who can't see over the crowd. Had trouble getting the bartenders' attention at one point, it was hard to tell if they were really as busy or just moving slow.
We did not partake, but there was some kind of taco or burger stand out front which seemed to be popular for late night snacking. And with hand stamping (at least for this show), it was easy to pop in and out.
Other than our late night risk of getting stuck in the east bay because BART doesn't run 24-hours, it was a decent trip to see some bands. Next time, gotta go to an earlier show (if the acts get off their butts and start on time -- why do they all want to go on as late as possible, and on a school night too!).
Some people may think it's a crutch. Or a mask. Or an excuse. But there are somethings that you just don't do when you're from Indiana. Of course there are some things that you do. But those aren't quite as fun.
So I'm proposing that we add the following items to the list of things you do when you're from Indiana:
1) Going out on Monday nights
2) Perfect lemon drops
3) Seeing your very fabulous friend take it off and shake it in the Hubba Hubba show
4) Other not-to-be-mentioned in this forum but thoroughly enjoyed activities that may take place at home after a couple perfect lemon drops and a tastefully sexy burlesque show.
But then - if we did these things in Indiana, why would we move to the Bay Area?
Boobs. Booze. 80's music. What's not to like?
Oh yeah, and they hold fund-raisers for worthy causes.
(Like breast cancer awareness & prevention).
I'm in love with this place! From what I heard, it's newly renovated. It definitely doesn't smell like a bar/club - super nice and clean :) The bartenders here are great and the drinks are at a pretty good price too.
The night I was here, there were some awesome bands playing, most notably The Soft White Sixties (http://www.myspace.com...). The place is split up in two sections (three if you count the outside patio area) - the bar side, and the stage side. They have this neat screen that projects the performance that's going on on the other side - it's ultra cool :)
The most AWESOME part about this place: there was one of those street vendors selling baconed up hot dogs toward the end of the night - the smell wafting into the bar was irresistible...!!
All in all, you can expect a good night coming here!
glad that Oakland has a place like this! Nice place to check out a band. Bar area has a screen of the stage, so you don't have to miss out on the show. Mezzanine was dark, but really liked having chairs and an unobstructed view of the stage. Close to BART. Clean bathrooms. I'd come here again.
Beautiful wooden bar; tasty, generously sized cocktails; cute hipster-chick bartenders; nice, big, *clean* bathrooms; yummy bacon-wrapped hotdogs from the cart outside; and burlesque on Mondays. What's not to like?
It was on a Saturday that sexy girls were sitting at the sexy bar sipping on sexy drinks.
My drink of choice?
Raspberry Lemon Drop.
Uptown makes them exactly the way I like them. With Chambord down the center of the drink, creating a sexy red layer at the bottom of the sugar rimmed martini glass. I converted Jessica into an admirer and now she's in love. It was only $6. Yes, that's right. You can buy love for six dolla dolla bills.
Wait, there's more to love. The rest of the space is amazing. A huge balcony area overlooking a dance floor and stage where live bands and burlesque shows are performed. An outdoor patio where you can drink, smoke, laugh, cry, kiss, dance under the warm night sky.
Uptown in Oaktown. May you find love there too.
I'm actually not a big drinker.
Too many Carla Rossi filled cheap plastic coffee mugs in college, have made my very brief lush past - just that - a thing of the past.
But Uptown's Raspberry Lemondrops, had me holding on tight to the thick ledge of the beautiful sheen of Uptown's exceptional wooden bar, trying to stay balanced- they were so delightful.
Sour and strong, with a gorgeous drop of fresh raspberry liquor just sitting at the bottom of a see-through martini glass.
Love in a glass for just six dollars.
Not only can you get a blissful bargain buzz at Uptown, but you can stroll outside and bask below the beaming Oakland moonlight with friends. Carrying your glass of love, you can throw back your head and belt out big bellied laughs. And no one will tell you to be quiet.
And when you're done, head on upstairs to get a balcony view of Uptown's bumpin' stage - often graced by seductive burlesque acts, swoon worthy blues, and killer rock.
Yeah - Oakland is where it's at.
I'm right there with Kenny L.
Yeah, the bar is cool, the acts are occasionally pretty good (Chuck D, for example), but the real draw is the hot dog cart. The hot dogs are sooo gooooood... I'd walk over from my apartment just to get a hot dog -- forget the bar.
I actually do like the bar, too. It's much nicer on the inside than you'd expect it to be, and their show venue is surprisingly large. The Hubba Hubba review was mildly entertaining at best, and the whole rockabilly/punk scene is not for me, but I would still come back here, especially given that I live 4 blocks away.
Seriously, though, the hot dogs are killer.
My band, The Moonlight Orchestra performed here last week and we all Loved it. We were very pleased with our sound guy. The stage is a good size. I guess the bar was okay, but the bartender was great. Outside patio in the back. Backstage is nice. The bar is separated from the performance space. Bathrooms are small, considering the amount of people that can fit in this place. Oh well, The Uptown is a great place overall. Right across from Fox Theater.
My boyfriend and I went on a Thursday night and had the dance room to ourselves, it was delightful! The dance floor is the perfect size: enough room to dance and then some, and not so big that you'd lose your friends on a crowded night. Friendly, talented DJs played 80s breaks, which were very danceable.
And, no cover! Recommended :)
I was really surprised when I walked into the Uptown. It is much bigger than it looks from the outside, and much nicer. The walls are a deep rich blue and the ceilings high. There is a great outdoor space in the back. It was a little tricky to catch the bartender's eye, but once I did she was really nice. They have an ok beer list, but the prices are reasonable.
Fedora Night
Neighborhood: Laurel District
Friendly Wednesdays!
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Oakland, CA
Category: Music Venues
Oakland, CA
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Music Venues
Neighborhood: West Oakland
Category: Art Galleries
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Jazz & Blues
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