Berlin is a Minneapolis music venue that creates unmatched intimacy
by Natalia Toledo and Bump Opera
July 26, 2024
Musicians know that where you play can have everything to do with how and what you play. Unique settings unlock new possibilities for performers and audiences alike. Ever since Berlin opened in the trend-forward North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis in February, it has emphasized jazz without making it the rule. Most shows have no cover, except for Fridays and Saturdays.
Open every night, except Tuesdays, the 85-capacity space has quickly built a reputation as a supportive performance environment. They’re free to experiment, be vulnerable, and get playful.
“The crowd is coming to sit, drink, have some food, be quiet, and experience and feel music together,” Minneapolis singer/DJ/producer Channy Leaneagh says in an interview with The Current. “It’s more of a pensive, listening room as opposed to a party room. Not necessarily to get people to dance, just a space where people can listen together.”
On the third Sunday of July, Leaneagh staged her second Leaneagh & Company Residency performance in this spot lurking next to the Argentinian steakhouse Porzana, and across the street from Spoon and Stable. Owner Rich Henriksen – who runs his company Nokomis Health upstairs – has turned the ground floor into a European-inspired jazz club. The ambience is cozy with curtains, candles lit all around, and soft lighting. It's the type of environment that makes it easy to strike up a conversation with a stranger.
That night, I made my way to Berlin. Once I found a parking spot, I noted that so much has changed in the surrounding neighborhood that I felt a little bit like a tourist.
Just as Leaneagh and her guests were finishing their soundcheck, I was offered a range of seating options: There’s the horseshoe-shaped bar, a raised counter closer to the stage area, booths, and low tables right in front of the stage. The counter provided a perfect view of the show, and servers discreetly brought food and beverages (including non-alcoholic options) right out to the seats.
The Poliça and Roma di Luna frontwoman began the night with a DJ set featuring music by electronic and ambient artists like Four Tet, Jai Paul, and Leon Vynehall. Shortly after, she transitioned into a mesmerizing acoustic set of stripped-down Poliça songs, featuring just her and the guitar. A few songs in, her Poliça bandmate Drew Christopherson joined on electronic drums, and Alex Nutter played synths on his laptop. (Nutter’s usual equipment is stuck in Paris.) Leaneagh sang and played violin. It felt natural to completely immerse in their music, which had the freedom of a jam session. They were having a lot of fun trying new sounds, but it still sounded beautiful.
“The nice thing about Berlin, that we didn’t have before, is the intimacy of a coffee shop, with the added feeling of a late-night bar,” Leaneagh says. “And by coffee shop, I just mean, really small and intimate. So, as a performer if you want to try something new out, you want to have more of a conversation with the crowd, or just a little of that feeling each other breathe, that is what Berlin can offer. Every time I’ve played there, it’s quiet. The crowd is there to hear music.”
Berlin’s communications director Kylie Purtell confirms that the public has warmly welcomed this style of venue, including a mention alongside First Avenue in The New York Times’ recent 36 Hours in Minneapolis piece. “Many of our guests have told us we’re filling a missing niche in the neighborhood and the music community,” Purtell says. “An important part of our mission is treating artists with respect, so it’s been rewarding to hear from musicians that they feel well taken care of in our space.
In the same way that visiting another city opens up one’s creative aperture, “this space could be a portal to cultural discovery and nocturnal beauty,” says Cecilia Johnson, Berlin’s music programming manager. (Johnson is my former colleague at The Current.) “We have a thoughtful record collection and staff with great taste in music … We’re ready to get weird and love spontaneity.” After the band finishes, audiences can linger until midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Coming up, August’s Sunday-night artist residency at Berlin features drummer Toby Ramaswamy with guests including Eric Mayson (Champagne Confetti, Dancebums), Robert Lehmann (Miloe), DeCarlo Jackson (heyarlo, Hippo Campus) and Anna Dolde (Rabeca). Johnson says Andrew Broder’s September residency “will blow people’s minds.” (Disclosure: I will play a DJ set at Berlin on July 29.)
Further into the future, Berlin has partnered with avant-garde curator Kate Nordstrum of Liquid Music for upcoming performances featuring SML saxophonist Josh Johnson and pianist/composer Kelly Moran.
“Especially since Berlin is so suited to experimental music, I hope to offer artists creative partnership, not just a place to perform for one night,” Johnson says.
Leaneagh’s extended performance arc at Berlin wraps up on Sunday, July 28, with special guests Lazerbeak and Ben Ivascu, another Poliça bandmate.
“I wanted to reconnect with where I started in music, which was in the folk tradition,” Leaneagh says. “Playing traditional songs on the guitar and violin. So I was able to start with that my first night.” After playing deconstructed Poliça songs on the guitar in the second performance, “the last night is more a DJ night,” she continues. After the residency, her plans include Poliça’s next full-band show on August 9 at Icehouse, the Totally Gross National Party on August 10, and some dates in New York. She expects to play some of the “guitar songs” she tested at Berlin.
A show at Berlin feels like a refreshing new concept, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic’s shutdown period. It’s quiet, it’s intimate, and it doesn’t revolve around partying, which is nice sometimes. “Over time we hope to earn our community’s trust, “Purtell says, “so our guests can pop in on any given night and know they are going to hear quality sound from talented musicians.”
Channy Leaneagh’s Leaneagh & Company residency concludes on Sunday, July 28, featuring Lazerbeak and Ben Ivascu. You can find all upcoming events on Berlin’s website.
