Club of the Month: Ashkenaz Community Center

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by Corinne Mah

1317 San Pablo Avenue at Gilman
Berkeley, California 94702
All Ages, 7 days/nights a week
510-525-5054
http://www.ashkenaz.com

Ashkenaz began as the dream of David Nadel, the "folk-dancing social activist" of Berkeley, California, where in 1973 he created a haven for his two loves, Eastern European folk-dancing and radical politics. Over the ensuing 28 years, Ashkenaz has evolved from being a counter-cultural outpost into a venue that enjoys an enduring success and far-reaching popularity. No one could have foreseen that the Ashkenaz would have such staying power, yet it has become a multi-cultural, community-focussed mecca for music in the Bay Area.

Tucked amid the businesses along San Pablo Avenue, the building's architectural details resemble the synagogues of the eastern European Jews after which it was named (David Nadel's grandmother was an Ashkenazi). Like the Ashkenazis' Diaspora throughout the world, David Nadel soon expanded to a far-reaching format that spans the globe to bring forward a multitude of musical styles and cultures.

On February 6, 2001, I spoke with Allan Katz, the general manager of Ashkenaz. "Initially [Ashkenaz] did a lot of acoustic music and folk-dancing, but eventually it started to feature more reggae, African and Caribbean music and it expanded to what it is today–producing live shows seven nights a week, year-round, of musical genres from all over the world," Katz explained.

He continued, "By the mid-80s, Ashkenaz was serving many genres, as it still does today. When people ask 'what kind of music do you have?’, I pretty much tell them it's everything except rock & roll and jazz. That's not to say there isn't some crossover sometimes, but anything else you could name, we have here. Whether it's swing or Balkan, Cajun, Zydeco, reggae, African, hip-hop, Grateful Dead (psychedelic)." This long-standing commitment to diversity continues today. "There are many genres that we attempt to serve that we consider underserved by the rest of the musical community or the musical world," stated Katz.

A Commitment to the Community

Ashkenaz's mission is to showcase musical genres that are either underserved, unrecognized or are on their way up. "We also have a very specific mission to serve groups and musicians who don't normally have an opportunity to play in front of a good-sized audience," said Katz. The club's live music calendar is head-spinning in its spanning of the globe. Additionally, more than 30 different dance classes are offered throughout the week, including folk, salsa, African, belly dancing and yoga.

"One of the things that is really important to us is community involvement and keeping ticket prices very low so that members across the spectrum of our community can come and listen," said Katz, proudly. "In the two years I have been here, we've charged $20 one time, and most ticket prices are $8 to $11, which is pretty much unheard of around these parts. We want to be accessible to as many people as possible," he said.

In addition, Ashkenaz's events are always open to all ages, which sets it apart from other venues. A lot of East Bay natives remember going to Ashkenaz as teenagers, and at some events, the crowd spans three generations, "There are evenings with an incredible mix: you'll see toddlers on the floor and you'll see 80-year-olds, all having a great time. It's a safe, cozy environment. A lot of people have grown up here. Many people have danced here for 25 years and many are sometimes second and even third generation already!" Katz exclaimed. His enthusiastic support of the club is contagious, and we agreed that it is remarkable for a club to survive this long in such a competitive marketplace.

David Nadel Killed, Nonprofit Takes Over

Tragedy struck in 1996 when founder David Nadel was murdered. Said Katz, "It is a very sad tale. There was a patron who was drunk (as the story goes). They were escorted out, went away, came back with a gun and killed David. They escaped and have gone without capture all these years. There are a lot of theories about why that is. My personal theory is that the powers that be in Berkeley were never fond of David, he was definitely a thorn in their side for a lot of years, because of his political views, his relationship with the University regents and the local police departments. My sense is that there wasn't a lot of sympathy for this event and therefore not a lot of effort went into finding his assailant. But those are my thoughts, and what's been put out there is the person escaped to Mexico and they are still at large."

This sad event could have been the end of Ashkenaz, but, "A very loyal and dedicated group of people didn't want to see the club close down with his passing, so they organized as a nonprofit organization," marveled Katz. "This organization negotiated with David Nadel's heirs and purchased the building from his estate. "With the help of a lot of people in the community, we now physically own the building (we have a mortgage), which is a huge advantage over a lot of clubs that are really suffering these days because of rent hikes," said Katz.

Inside the Ashkenaz

Inside the club, the wooden beams and dance floor feel more like a rustic lodge than an urban club. The crowd, like the makeup of its hometown, is diverse, casual, and reminiscent of the 60s hippie culture from which it grew. A collection of political posters lines the walls. Katz explained that "there is a whole area in the club dedicated to explaining not only what Ashkenaz is all about and where the name came from, but also the history of Eastern European synagogues, and how David used that model to build this place."

Both alcohol and food are served by a friendly staff. There are many volunteers working at Ashkenaz; in fact, Allen Katz himself began as a volunteer two years ago. From there, he became a board member, and was eventually hired as the general manager who books the entertainment. "We have a committee that serves as the advisory committee. Fortunately, I have many resources and the club's reputation has grown nicely. We get a lot of calls from people who want to book here," he said.

The club's popularity is also growing due to the Bay Area real estate crunch. "It's an interesting dynamic, the rent pressure facing a lot of dance groups, musicians and artists in San Francisco and elsewhere in the Bay Area, is having an effect here," noted Katz. "As clubs and studios close up in San Francisco, people are looking more and more to the East Bay. There is really nothing in the East Bay size-wise that compares to Ashkenaz–you go from bars and very tiny clubs into bigger venues like Kaiser [Convention Center] and the Oakland Coliseum. There really isn't a whole lot in between. We have suddenly found ourselves really serving that niche for people are looking for a club that can hold 300 to 500 people."

4th Annual Dance-A-Thon on March 24^th

Because of its dedication to keeping all shows affordable, Ashkenaz runs "in the red." Katz joked: "The cover price doesn't!" The club's operating expenses are about 20 percent more than revenues generated, about $100,000 annually. "What we do is go out and fundraise–we get some government and city grants, we get some private monies, and then we have the "Friends of Ashkenaz" fund for donations. Between these factors, and the Dance-A-Thon, we have been able to raise that shortfall," he explained.

On March 24, 2001, Ashkenaz will hold its 4th Annual Dance-A-Thon. Said Katz, "There will be music for 12 straight hours–from 2 p.m. until 2 a.m. with about 9 or 10 bands. Some of the best bands we've had come through will play for free. It's a wonderful event and everyone gets a dose of a lot of different kinds of music all in one day." In the past, 25 percent of the Ashkenaz budget shortfall has been made up in that day. "There is a minimum donation of $20, or for $20 people can sign up to gain sponsorships and win prizes. This year our top three prizes are a round-trip ticket to Rio de Janeiro, a trip to Costa Rica, and a backroads bicycle tour. These and other gifts are donated by companies in the community."

Benefits and Special Events

Ashkenaz will also host benefit events for others. According to Katz: "I'll get a sense of what they are trying to accomplish and which bands, if any, they had in mind, and most of the time we are able to accommodate them. We did a benefit in January for the Prison Activists Resource Center, and it was a tremendously successful event. They ended up netting over $2,000 for the evening, which was huge for them."

On February 15, 2001, the Bay Area reggae and Jamaican community came to Ashkenaz to support a benefit for Out of Many One. For many years, Carlton Campbell has operated his store on Shattuck Avenue in Oakland and has helped promote the music and culture of Jamaica. "Someone called me up and said Carleton could use a hand and they had this idea for a benefit," said Katz. "They named off some of the bands they wanted to come in and I said 'No problem!' " A number of bands came through to support the shop, including Clinton Fearon, Alpheus, The Reggae Angels and Native Elements (see related article).

A Focus on Youth Programming

According to Katz, Ashkenaz is providing more events and programs for young people because, "Again, it's an underserved group. The youth certainly have something to say artistically and musically, and they deserve a place to play. We also recognize that they are our future, so there's a lot of emphasis to really involve youth." A youth workshop, funded by grant from the Berkeley Civic Arts Commission, called "Kids Meet the World," is running for six Sundays through March 11, 2001. Every week features interactive, multi-cultural dance workshops with teachers working with the children to expose them to different forms of dance and music. "This is the first time we've done this, and it's something that we really hope takes off," remarked Katz.

Every few months the club also hosts "Bandworks" a group that is similar to music camp. They perform their recitals at Ashkenaz, "And you get these wonderful bands of 8 to 10-year-olds just playing their hearts out and sounding really good. Last week we had 200 people here to see that, it was just tremendous," remembers Katz, fondly. "There really isn't another place for youth to get out and showcase their talent these days, so we're trying to make this a venue for them."

Taking Ashkenaz into the Future

On the musical front, Katz explained, "We've had some really interesting touring acts coming through and as a result of them enjoying the place, I'm getting calls to book shows of people who normally wouldn't come here," stated Katz. "It's so hard to get a good reputation, especially in the music business. To be able to have that and keep it and be true to it is something that's very important to us. And it's important for us to treat artists right; this is not just a money machine that just cranks the artists in and out." He added, "It's a nice little circle we've created here and the result has been that we're getting some great people who want to play here. It's a very nice give and take."

While Ashkenaz is primarily known as a nightclub, Katz hopes to put more emphasis on its youth programming and its dance classes by expanding and adding to these programs. The club is also looking into starting an internship program. "We have a world-class sound system and we would like to be able to have students from high schools and colleges in the area come work with us doing sound work, and possibly video work," he said. "We've done some webcasts and that's another thing we would love to be able to do with students to expose them to some real-world experience."

In closing, Katz agreed that Ashkenaz has tremendous artistic freedom: "We are able to work with different genres of music that many people may not be aware of or tuned into. And it's our role to open their eyes."

For a full listing of the events at Ashkenaz, check out their website at http://www.ashkenaz.com, or you join the Friends of Ashkenaz and receive their mailed calendar by calling 510-525-5054.

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JahWorks.org contributor Corinne Mah is a San Francisco-based freelance writer and publishing specialist who has a passionate interest in Caribbean music and dance. You can e-mail her at cm@corinnemah.com.