The Back Room

This Week at The Back Room! 🎵 Fri, Jun 5, 2026 Newsletter

This Week at The Back Room! 🎵 Okay, I am back to the last-minute scheduling that occurs with these newsletters more often than it should. So, keeping this one less wordy, and more to the point.

Join us on Sun, June 7, 4pm for Michael McNally and The Time Travelers | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/michael-mcnally-and-the-time-travelers
Singer songwriter Michael McNally started writing songs in his teen years and continued into his twenties. McNally’s sound has influences from the music of the 1970s, such as Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Eagles, and the Moody Blues. Soon his career in the operations of a nightclub (Berkeley Square), as Operations Director at an amphitheater (Concord Pavilion), and Facilities Manager (for the East Bay Regional Park District) got in the way of putting on any performances or writing songs.

Now with more time available, McNally connected with some musicians who provide back up for his songs and last year played three shows featuring McNally’s original music and some selected covers from the 70s.

The Time Travelers features Bob Lewis (guitar) who has played with The RaveUps (a Yardbirds tribute band), and the John Gallagher Band; John Seabury (bass), currently a player in Psycotic Pineapple and Heebie Jeebies, and has played with Little Roger and the Goosebumps, Snakefinger, and Vox Pop; and Donn Spindt (drums) currently with The Rubinoos, and formerly with Vox Pop.

Join us on Sat, June 6, 8pm for The Charles Wheal Band | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/the-charles-wheal-band-june2026

Charles Wheal and his band play a variety of blues and roots music that has been winning fans since 2006, when he left Mark Hummel's band to focus on his own music.

In his live performances, as well as his recordings, the music is delivered by seasoned professionals playing with passion and focus. Over the years, Wheal has played with a virtual who's-who of blues greats, including James Cotton, Snooky Pryor, Sam Myers, Joe Beard, Steve Freund, Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson (The Fabulous Thunderbirds), Rod Piazza, Rick Estrin (Rick Estrin & The Nightcats), James Harman, Paul Delay, Jerry Portnoy, Lee Oskar, Magic Dick, Huey Lewis, Jody Williams, Jr Watson, Billy Branch, Curtis Salgado, Maria Muldaur, Bob Margolin, Anson Funderburgh, Cal Valentine, Detroit Jr, Barrelhouse Chuck, Billy Boy Arnold, and of course Mark Hummel.

For almost a decade, he anchored Mark Hummel and the Blues Survivors, playing with some of the greatest musicians of their generations, criss-crossing North America and Europe to packed halls, and playing festivals and clubs to dedicated fans of blues and jazz from around the world.

Join us on Fri, June 5, 7:30pm for Yoav Konig Quartet (ft: Nico Colucci, Michael Potter, Miles Turk) | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/yoav-konig-quartet-ft-nico-colucci-michael-potter-miles-turk

This group is a collection of the Bay Area's most talented young jazz musicians. Yoav Konig was seeking a classic Saxophone Quartet new sound to combine his love of the tradition of improvisational music and the contemporary evolution of this language. While asked by a friend and fellow bassist, Sedge Green, "What's your vision for the group?" Yoav replied, "I want it super swinging but also super modern at the same time: A combination of Joshua Redman's Spirit of the Moment – Live at the Village Vanguard and Ambrose Akinmusire's A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard," (both Berkeley natives). This group will feature both standard repertoire from the Great American Songbook and bebop traditions and Yoav Konig's original compositions.

Yoav Konig (bass) is a dynamic young bass player who is setting new ground on the instrument. Currently a senior at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, Yoav Konig is a composer and arranger who is a member of the SFJazz High School All-Stars and the San Francisco Youth Symphony Orchestra. He has studied under the greats: Reuben Rogers, Scott Colley, Yasushi Nakamura, Joe Martin, Or Bareket, Marcus Shelby, and Jeff Denson. Yoav has been awarded a YoungArts award and multiple Downbeat Student Awards.

Nico Colucci (sax) is a dynamic and versatile jazz saxophonist celebrated for his expressive tone, deep stylistic versatility, and electrifying performances. With roots in jazz and influences spanning all genres, Nico’s sound embodies both tradition and innovation. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Roots, Jazz, and American Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, a rigorous program grounded in jazz history, improvisation, composition, and performance that has prepared him to excel as both an artist and collaborator.

Join us on Fri, May 29, 8pm for Kaimera | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/kaimera

Kaimera is a thoughtfully crafted ensemble, led by Ryan Feldthouse on oud and violin and Jesse Torre on flamenco guitar.

Their music is a fusion of Balkan, Flamenco, Greek, and Turkish influences, creating a layered and beautiful soundscape. With a balance of precision and spontaneity, Kaimera offers an immersive musical experience—perfect for special events, where their performance invites the audience to listen closely and connect.

Join us on Tue, May 26, 8pm for Rick Dougherty & Don Burnham | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/rick-dougherty-and-don-burnham

Rick Dougherty (Limeliters, Kingston Trio, Folk Legacy Trio)

Don Burnham (The Bolos, New Century Jazz Band, Lost Weekend Western Swing Band)

Rick and Don have been close friends for over fifty years, slinging their guitars, writing songs, and singing for audiences worldwide. The two veteran songsters join up for an old-style troubadour evening, on the eve of Don’s departure for Wellington, New Zealand where he’s been granted residency.

Join us on Sun, May 24, 2pm for Souls On Board - Aaron Germain, Brian Fishler, David White | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/souls-on-board-aaron-germain-brian-fishler-david-white

Take elements of rock, funk, Latin, and Americana, add in lush chord-melody and harmonized guitar arrangements, and marry that with world-class, post-bop musicianship improvising over interesting odd-meter grooves, and you’ll begin to approach what Souls on Board is all about: fusion jazz that evokes bands like Bass Desires, Return to Forever, or Snarky Puppy... and yet like those bands takes genre blending in its own signature direction.

David White been pushing jazz boundaries since he first came on the scene in New York City and Boston in the 1990s. The product has only gotten more refined and interesting since.

This collaboration with renown Bay Area bassist Aaron Germain, likened by reviewers as a “post-Jaco, post- Patitucci burner” and the power grooves of the prolific, in-demand drummer Brian Fishler, the energy and creativity of this trio is not to be missed.

Truly the essence of 21st century jazz.

Join us on Sat, May 23, 8pm for David Byrd & Byrds of a Feather | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/david-byrd-and-byrds-of-a-feather

JazzReggae sensations Byrds of a Feather brings their dynamic quintet to The Back Room to celebrate their new release Vampire President.

Join us for the epitome of JazzReggae in the Bay!
David Byrd on alto sax and vocals
Eli Goldlink on keys and vocals
Toho Saunders on bass and vocals
Jordan “J Bird” Davis on drums
Carlos Caminos on guitar
A Must See for the Bay Area Massive!

Join us on Sat, May 23, 2pm for Quarter Tone Poets | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/quarter-tone-poets

Quarter Tone Poets is a multidisciplinary project exploring the deep relationship between language, music, and cultural memory. Rooted in Western Armenian literary traditions and enriched by the tonal depth of Middle Eastern music, the program brings poetry into conversation with live sound—particularly the expressive voice of the oud. Each performance creates an immersive environment where spoken word, melody, and improvisation merge, inviting audiences to experience poetry as a living, breathing sonic form.

This special event is presented in partnership with Mother Armenia, a local cultural producer dedicated to uplifting Armenian and cross-cultural artistic expression. The afternoon features live oud performances by Palestinian musician Clarissa Bitar and musician/poet Raffi Joe Wartanian, alongside a short lecture on poetry by Hrayr Varaz.

Blending performance and participation, the program also includes a poetry workshop set to live oud accompaniment, offering audiences a chance to engage directly with the creative process. Together, these elements form a unique, reflective experience that bridges cultures, disciplines, and traditions—highlighting the power of art to connect communities across histories and geographies.

Join us on Wed, May 20, 7:30pm for Guitar Trifecta | Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/guitar-trifecta

Guitar Trifecta—featuring Carl Lockett, Lloyd Gregory, and Eddie Pasternak—weaves a lush blend of jazz, pop, and groove into a sound that feels both intimate and expansive. With fluid interplay, expressive tone, and memorable melodies, the trio brings a refined yet accessible approach to live guitar music.