Adrian West Band at The Back Room in Berkeley

Adrian West Band describes their sound as “Paul Simon meets Talking Heads." They play original acoustic rock songs and instrumentals, plus a few covers and a few jazz standards. With Adrian West on vocals, acoustic guitar and electric violin, they normally play as a five-piece, but for their Back Room shows they like to team up with talented jazz pianist, composer and educator Michael Echaniz on the Steinway grand piano. When Michael isn’t blowing the roof off the joint with his incredible jazz solos, he adds sparkle and texture to the acoustic rock pieces.
Adrian's approach to songwriting is: music first, arrangement second, lyrics last. He likes his songs to stand on their own musically, so if you replaced all the singing with tubas and hand bells, the song would still sound great. (Fun fact: Paul Simon and David Byrne work pretty much the same way). When he finally gets down to writing lyrics, they are infused with equal parts hope, realism, and whimsy.
The repertoire for this show will be roughly 50% originals and 50% covers including several jazz standards. As we get closer to the show date, we’ll add more details here.
With its pristine acoustics and its down-to-earth vibe, The Back Room is the perfect place for this exciting show. The band looks forward to taking you on a voyage while you relax on one of those cozy sofas.
Adrian West - vocals, acoustic guitar, electric violin & live looping
Michael Echaniz - piano
TBD - vocals, percussion
Chris Haag - alto sax
Aaron Germain - upright bass
Shawn Tennie - drums
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door general admission; $15 for students/low-income individuals. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available here, or if the show is not sold out, you may purchase your tickets at the door before the show.
Doors open 30 minutes before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.
The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.
Please refrain from using your phone during performances, and if you use your camera or video, please disable the flash.
Although masks are no longer required, we strongly encourage their use to keep everyone safe in our intimate space.
Thank you for your support!