Remnants of rustic birdhouses, 1733 Sacaramento St. Photo: John Storey Berkeley is less quirky today than it was a week ago. The gods and goddesses of quirk shed a tear. Three years in the leaving, Mike Parayno has now completed his move from Berkeley to the Philippines, maintaining Bay Area ties with the Birdland Jazzista […]
Birdland Jazzista Social Club
Posted inArts
David Bowie to Broadway: Dan Wilensky back in Berkeley
Dan Wilensky, who attended Berkeley High, is back in town for a series of gigs. Photo: courtesy Dan Wilensky Fresh out of Berkeley High in the summer of 1979, Dan Wilensky had to make a fateful decision. The prestigious Eastman School of Music was offering a full scholarship at the same time that the Ray […]
Posted inNosh
New wine bar, sushi spot for Berkeley
To look forward to: a new wine bar, sushi restaurant, and smokehouse in Berkeley, and, this weekend, a tasting tour of local winemakers.
Posted inArts, Community
End of an era for Berkeley Rustic Birdhouses, Birdland jazz
Michael Parayno, seen here with some of his rustic birdhouses, is relocating to Manila. Most of his birdhouses are on sale. Photo: Emilie Raguso The story of a controversial community artist and jazz event organizer will come to an end later this month, at least locally, with the relocation of Birdman Mike from Berkeley to Manila, […]
Posted inNosh
Café Yesterday: Cocoa Puffs and Verve coffee for all
Cafe Yesterday: Berkeley’s only breakfast cereal bar serves up TK coffee and seasonal sandwiches on Acme Bread along with Frosted Flakes.
Posted inNosh
Birdland Jazz finds a new home at Café Yesterday
Birdland Jazz logo. Photos: Eric Arnold Late last year Michael Parayno, the founder of arguably the hippest garage jazz club and barbecue joint in town, was having some serious run-ins with the city — as first reported on Berkeleyside. Parayno was operating a very popular supper club, then called the Multi Culti Grill and Birdland […]
Posted inArts
Out in Berkeley: Mo’Fone — distilling the essence of funk
Larry De La Cruz, Jim Peterson and Jeremy Steinkoler (left to right), who make up Mo'Fone, playing Berkeley on Friday night By Andrew Gilbert When it comes to funk, less is often more. The band Mo’Fone puts that insight into insistently syncopated practice on just about every piece. Led by El Cerrito drummer Jeremy Steinkoler, Mo’Fone, which performs […]
Posted inNosh
Birdland Jazz and Multi Culti Grill: Update
Michael Parayno of Birdland. Photo: Eric Arnold. Many Berkeleyside readers have weighed in on the fate of the Multi Culti Grill and Birdland Jazz evenings hosted by Michael Parayno out of his garage at 1733 Sacramento Street, across from North Berkeley BART. Here’s an update: Last Thursday, December 8, Parayno received a Notice of Violation […]
Posted inNosh
Must-haves: A couch in the garage, a grill in the driveway
Michael Parayno. Photo: Eric Arnold. On December 10, we published a story by Sarah Henry on Multi Culti Grill Birdland Jazz, an informal BBQ supper club run by Michael Parayno, who is also known for his artisan birdhouses. The city is threatening to close down the Grill for code violations. Many readers left comments on […]
Posted inNosh
What next for the Multi Culti Grill and Birdland Jazz club?
Birdland Jazz Logo/Eric Arnold: EKAphotography So Berkeley finally gets a not-so-secret supper club, a down-home version of guerrilla gourmet hipster hangouts in Oakland and San Francisco, but now its future is uncertain. At press time, the Multi Culti Grill and Birdland Jazz, the city’s only underground BBQ and jazz joint is retreating from its street-front […]
