The Freight and Salvage facts for kids
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| Address | 2020 Addison St, Berkeley, CA 94704 |
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| Location | Berkeley, California |
| Coordinates | 37°52′15″N 122°16′11″W / 37.87083°N 122.26972°W |
| Type | Coffeehouse, non-profit |
| Opened | 1968 |
| Website | |
| http://www.thefreight.org | |
The Freight & Salvage (often called "The Freight") is a special music place in Berkeley, California. It's a nonprofit venue, which means it's not just about making money. Instead, it focuses on sharing music with people. The Freight mostly features Americana music and world music artists.
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The Freight's Story
The Freight & Salvage started way back in 1968. It was founded by Nancy Owens. The name "Freight & Salvage" came from a used furniture shop that used to be in the same spot on San Pablo Avenue.
In its early days, The Freight was a popular spot for bluegrass music fans and musicians. But it also showed off many other types of performances. These included folk music, acoustic acts, Scottish and Irish tunes, jugbands, mimes, spoken word, and even open mic nights.
In 1983, the club officially became a nonprofit organization. It was named the Berkeley Society for the Preservation of Traditional Music. The Freight then moved to a new space on Addison Street in 1988. This new spot could hold 220 people.
A New Home for Music
On August 27, 2009, The Freight opened an even bigger venue. This new building is in Berkeley's Downtown Arts District. It can seat 490 people!
This new building cost $12 million to build. It was designed to be very eco-friendly. It followed LEED standards, which means it's good for the environment. The building has a "green roof" and uses recycled wood from the original building that was on the site. The Freight also has classrooms in this new building. This helps them with their goal of teaching people about music.
Amazing Musicians at The Freight
Many talented musicians have played at The Freight over the years. Some performers from its early days still play there today. These include artists like Eric Thompson, Laurie Lewis, Peter Rowan, Jody Stecher, and Linda Tillery. Other famous musicians from its first ten years were Elizabeth Cotten, Lightnin' Hopkins, Malvina Reynolds, and Kate Wolf.
In more recent times, many other well-known musicians have performed at The Freight. Some of these include Judy Collins, Ry Cooder, Tommy Emmanuel, David Grisman, and Odetta. Several artists have even recorded live albums at The Freight. This shows how special the performances there can be!
Diverse Sounds and Festivals
In 2016, Peter Williams became the Artistic Director. Under his guidance, The Freight started to feature an even wider variety of performers. Now, you can hear jazz, Latin music, and many other world music artists. Some of these include John Santos, Eddie Palmieri, Bobby McFerrin, and Kurt Elling.
The Freight also hosts a fun, free street festival every year called Freight Fest. This festival has two stages outside the venue. It also features music acts playing inside all day long.
The Freight is also home to the longest-running open mic night in the San Francisco Bay Area. Many artists have shared their talents there. Famous people like Shawn Colvin and Dana Carvey have even performed at this open mic.
