Colin Cotter (guitar, vox) and Sumaia Jackson (5-string fiddle, vox) bring “California Celtic” at its best to The Back Room in Berkeley, CA with a deep groove and much soul in a set featuring original fiddle tunes and songs alongside re-envisioned traditional and contemporary Celtic and USAmerican folk music. The duo is joined for these gigs by Simon Chrisman, whose sheer wizardry on the hammer dulcimer opens all kinds of new horizons for exciting musical explorations. The trio deftly moves from blazing fiddle tunes to beautiful ballads and back again, pulls off tightly arranged pieces and lets loose with improvised solos and free-flowing arrangements, joins their voices sweetly in harmony, and takes a few swings at the gravity of the harsh world around us, all while highlighting the joy of organic interplay between musicians and of gathering in community around music.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 general admission; $15 for students/low-income individuals. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available here, or if the show is not sold out, you may purchase your tickets at the door before the show.

Doors open 30 minutes before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.