Category: Live Music

Milonga La Bruja presents the famous tango duo of Seth Asarnow (bandoneon) and Marcelo Puig (guitar and voice). With DJ Robert playing traditional tango music.

7:00-10:00 pm (doors open at 6:30)

$20 (cash only)
$15 for full-time students with ID (cash only)
$10 for Berkeley City Club members (cash only)

This is a milonga (tango social dance). We welcome dancers and listeners. All genders are welcome to lead and follow. The duo’s sets begin at 7:45 and 9:15 pm. To enter the building, ring the bell and say “tango!”

Proof of vaccination and ID required. Masks are required when not actively eating or drinking.

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres are offered for sale. (Cards are accepted for refreshments.)

We are a 10-minute walk from Downtown Berkeley BART. No non-member parking in the City Club lot. For bike parking, use the bell to enter through the service entrance, and then go straight until you are outside again. Nearby parking lots.

Milonga La Bruja presents Los Tangueros del Oeste, live in the Berkeley City Club ballroom!  The band plays electro-tango music from their cutting-edge album, Alma Vieja.

Wednesday, November 10th, 2021
7:00-10:00 pm (doors open at 6:30)

$20 (cash only)
$15 for full-time students with ID (cash only)
$10 for members of the Berkeley City Club (cash only)

Also featuring DJ Robert, playing traditional tango music!

We are so happy to be back in the Berkeley City Club ballroom, with its beautiful wooden floor.  This is a milonga (tango social dance). We welcome dancers and listeners.  All genders are welcome to lead or follow. The band’s sets begin at 7:45 and 9:15 pm. To enter the building, ring the bell and say “tango!”

Proof of vaccination and ID required. Masks are required in the lobby, the hallways, and the ballroom.

Drinks and hors d’ouvres are offered for sale in the bar, which is down the hall from the ballroom. You can enjoy them in the bar or in the Venetian room–not in the ballroom. Don’t worry, you can hear the music in the Venetian room too! (Cards are accepted for refreshments.)

The music of Los Tangueros del Oeste is steeped in the nuevo tango styles of Astor Piazzolla, Gotan Project and Bajofondo. Focusing on original compositions, the group blends beats and textures from Hip-Hop and Electronica with Flamenco influences filtered through an improvisational lens. Their singular nuevo tango sound is cool, impassioned, sensuous, seductive and utterly dance-inducing.  

See the East Bay Express article
Hear the new album, Alma Vieja

Los Tangueros del Oeste
Berkeley City Club
Parking

The Berkeley City Club
2315 Durant Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704

Join us before the milonga with Orquesta Tipica La Juan D’Arienzo for a musicality workshop with Facundo Lázzari and La Juan D’Arienzo (all of them!). This event is primarily a talk, but it also includes live musical performance, so bring your shoes. Get to know the musicians and ask them your questions!

Monday, March 23rd
6:30-8:00 pm
Tickets $20 (Available on Eventbrite or with cash at the door.)

La Juan D’Arienzo debuted in 2012 and won the Premio Tango for Best Orchestra in 2018. It is made up of four bandoneons, three violins, a double bass, and a piano. The Orquesta plays music in the style of the later years of the original Juan D’Arienzo orchestra, with all of its energy and rhythm. The Orquesta’s first bandoneonist and artistic director, Facundo Lázzari, inherited the orchestra name from his grandfather, Carlos Lázzari, first bandoneonist and arranger of the original Juan D’Arienzo orchestra.

The workshop begins with a history of the original Juan D’Arienzo orchestra, including its founder, its development, and its influence on tango music. The second part of the workshop goes into detail about the musical techniques that give the Juan D’Arienzo its distinctive sound, including “marcato,” “the 4th string,” “variations,” and the role of soloists. The musicians demonstrate these techniques and explain how they differ from those of other historic tango orchestras. Finally, the musicians play pieces from their repertoire.

Listen here: https://www.lajuandarienzo.com/musica

The restaurant and bar at the Berkeley City Club are closed on Mondays.

The workshop takes place at the Berkeley City Club. The milonga takes place at the Pauley Ballroom at UC Berkeley, which is three blocks away. Milonga tickets are sold separately by the Argentine Tango Club of Berkeley. There is no non-member parking at the Berkeley City Club. It is a 10-minute walk from Downtown Berkeley BART.

The closest UC Berkeley parking garages are Lower Sproul Parking Garage and RSF Parking Garage, which offer parking at $2/hour until 2:00 am. Other nearby commercial parking lots are Trinity Parking Lot (2362 Bancroft Way), 2558 Bancroft Way, and 2315 Ellsworth Street Garage @ the Metropolitan.

Questions: milongafiatlux@gmail.com. Please do not attempt to buy workshop tickets with Paypal.

Milonga La Bruja with Mariano Barreiro Tango Trio
Wednesday, April 1st, 2020
7:00-10:00 pm

Join us for live music with the Mariano Barreiro Tango Trio! This is a milonga (Argentine tango social dance). We welcome dancers and listeners of all ages. DJ’d tango music begins at 7:00; the Trio’s live sets begin at 7:45 and 9:15.

Tickets  $15

The Mariano Barreiro Tango Trio plays hard-hitting and innovative interpretations of classic Argentine tango repertory. The Trio has toured North America and Europe performing for a variety of venues and festivals, and is committed to presenting nuanced, dynamic takes on the music of Astor Piazzola, Osvaldo Pugliese, Anibal Troilo, and other luminary composers. The Trio is made up of Mariano Barreiro (piano), Charles Gorczynski (bandoneon), and Ishtar Hernandez (violin).

Tickets are available on Eventbrite up until one hour before the start of the event; please use cash if buying tickets at the door.

For reservations at Julia’s Restaurant visit Opentable or call (510) 280-1547.

A full bar and refreshments will be available in the ballroom.

There is no dance class on this date.

Wednesday, February 5th
7:00-10:00 pm
The Berkeley City Club
$15 (free for Club members)

Trio Garufa has long been a favorite of Bay Area dancers, and has traveled the the world playing tango music in Argentina, Colombia, Europe, Canada and the US. It is made up of Sascha Jacobsen, double bass; Guillermo Garcia, guitar; and Adrian Jost, bandoneon. Trio Garufa has two albums, El Rumor de Tus Tangos, and La Segunda Tradicion. For more information, see triogarufa.com!

This is a milonga (social dance). Listeners are welcome, as well as dancers of all levels. The band’s sets begin at 7:45 and 9:15. All ages. Tickets available though Eventbrite until 6:00 pm, or with cash at the door. Discount of $5 for members of the Berkeley City Club.

A full bar and light refreshments will be offered in the ballroom, provided by Morgan’s Bar & Lounge. For dinner reservations before the milonga, contact Julia’s Restaurant at (510) 280-1547, or use opentable.com.

Wednesday, December 4th
7:00-10:00 pm
The Berkeley City Club
$15

Two musicians playing three instruments take you on a whirlwind ride through tango history. Guillermo Garcia (guitar) and Seth Asarnow (bandoneon, piano) are both favorites in the Bay Area tango scene, but they rarely play together as a duo. Hear them in the historic Berkeley City Club ballroom, with DJ Robert playing tunes during the breaks.

This is a milonga (tango dance party). Listeners are welcome, as well as dancers of all levels. The duo’s sets begin at 7:45 and 9:15. All ages. Tickets available though Eventbrite until 6:00 pm, or with cash at the door. Discount of $5 for members of the Berkeley City Club.

A full bar and light refreshments will be offered in the ballroom, provided by Morgan’s Bar & Lounge. For dinner reservations before the milonga, contact Julia’s Restaurant at (510) 280-1547, or use opentable.com.

Eventbrite tickets

Live on stage, it’s the Maxi Larrea Trio with Teresa Tam on vocals! Join us for a milonga in the historic Berkeley City Club ballroom. DJ Robert plays traditional tunes during the breaks. Price: $15 ($10 for Club members). Tickets are available in advance through Eventbrite or with cash at the door.

This is an early milonga: 7:00-10:00 pm. The band’s sets begin at 7:45 and 9:15.

The Maxi Larrea Trio is made up of Maximiliano Larrea, guitar; Charles Gorczynski, bandoneon; and Sumi Lee, piano.

Maximiliano Larrea is an accomplished guitarist, arranger, and composer from Rosario, Argentina. In Argentina, he worked with Cuarteto Revirado, Quinteto Negro La Boca (Sony Argentina), Quinteto Clandestino, and Aires Trio. Since moving to the US in 2015, he has worked with several ensembles, most recently with Mariano Barreiro Quartet, Trio Larrea-O’Day-Durso, and the Maximiliano Larrea Tango Trio.

Charles Gorczynski is a bandoneonist, composer, and leader of the Redwood Tango Ensemble. Charles has been a guest bandoneonist with the California Symphony and the San Jose Chamber Orchestra; has toured with the Argentine ensembles Tango BC Trío, Mariano Barreiro Tango Trio, and Alejandro Ziegler Quartet; and has premiered his own works at the Chamber Music Northwest Summer Festival.

Sumi Lee is a classically trained pianist who studied at La Orquesta Escuela de Tango, Emilio Balcarce. She has performed with many well-known maestros at prestigious venues, most recently with conductor Osvaldo Piro and bandoneonista Victor Lavallen at a sold-out concert at Teatro San Martin, Buenos Aires. She appears on the CD released at the concert, Gobbi Inédito. She also performs with a new tango group in Buenos Aires, Las Malevas.

A full bar and light refreshments will be available in the ballroom. For dinner reservations at Julia’s Restaurant, located inside the Berkeley City Club, visit www.opentable.com/r/julias-restaurant-berkeley. Please, no outside food or drink.

The BCC parking lot is for members only. We are a 10-minute walk from Downtown Berkeley BART. Nearby parking lots are Trinity Parking Log (2362 Bancroft Way), First Congregational Church Parking Log (2345 Channing Way), and 2315 Ellsworth Street Garage @ the Metropolitan.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Join us for live tango music in the historic Berkeley City Club ballroom! Virtuoso musicians Seth Asarnow (bandoneon) and Marcelo Puig (guitar, voice) will play a selection of classic tangos. DJ Robert will play traditional tunes during the breaks. Price: $15 (10 for Club members). Tickets are available through Eventbrite or with cash at the door.

This is an early milonga: 7:00-10:00 pm.

A full bar and light refreshments will be available in the ballroom. For dinner reservations at Julia’s Restaurant, located inside the Berkeley City Club, visit www.opentable.com/r/julias-restaurant-berkeley. Please, no outside food or drink.

Seth Asarnow, a native of the Bay Area, plays bandoneon and piano and is a composer, teacher, and ensemble director. His musical influences include Aníbal Troilo, Leopoldo Federico and Astor Piazzolla, whom he met in 1989. Seth has performed with the San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestras. He is the leader of the traditional golden-era tango group Seth Asarnow y su Sexteto Típico.

Marcelo Puig was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he studied classical guitar as a child at the Manuel de Falla Music Conservatory. During his teen years he played American and Latin American popular music, folk, rock, and blues. As an adult, he began playing Brazilian music and jazz, and then discovered tango music upon moving to the Bay Area. He has played at all of the top tango venues in the Bay Area as well as at restaurants, theaters, and wineries.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019
7:00-10:00 pm
$15

Live on stage, it’s tango ensemble Trio Garufa! Come dance or just enjoy the music in the Berkeley City Club’s historic ballroom.

Trio Garufa is an international ensemble dedicated to performing authentic Argentine music. They have performed across Argentina, Colombia, Europe, Canada and the US at venues such as Yoshi’s Jazz Club, Chicago Symphony Hall, Teatro Leon de Greiff and La Viruta (the largest tango club in Buenos Aires). Trio Garufa’s repertoire includes classic Argentine tangos from the golden era as well as Argentine folklore music, modern tangos by Piazzolla, electro-tangos, and original compositions. The Trio’s music is exciting, virtuosic, and rooted in the dance. The group is made up of Guillermo García, guitar (Argentina); Adrian Jost, bandoneon (Switzerland); and Sascha Jacobsen, upright bass (California).

Visit the Trio Garufa website here.

Wednesday, March 20th, 2019
7:00-10:00pm
$15.
Discount for members of the Berkeley City Club

On stage in the ballroom, we present Seth Asarnow on piano and Adrian Jost on bandoneon.  All are welcome, including experienced dancers, beginning dancers, and listeners.

Seth Asarnow, a native of the Bay Area, plays bandoneon as well as piano and has a repertoire consisting of hundreds of tangos. He has composed film scores and has played on film soundtracks, and he works regularly with some of the finest tango dancers in the world. His tango ensemble, Seth Asarnow y su Sexteto Tipico, plays tango in the style of the golden age.  Asarnow is working to preserve this unique style of music in its original form.

Born on the French Riviera in Switzerland, Adrian Jost first studied the accordion and bayan (similar to the accordion) with the country’s best teachers until coming to the U.S. to pursue his master’s degree at Northwestern University. It was there that Jost discovered Argentine tango and started the transition to the iconic bandoneon. In 2001, he co-founded Trio Garufa, a popular San Francisco-based tango group that has enthralled audiences in the U.S., Europe, Argentina, Colombia, and Canada.