I was impressed with the flow and set up of this venue. It's intimate enough that even if you're in the back you can still see everything on stage. Â There is an upstairs section where you can see the floor and the stage and also a bar and lounge with couches upstairs. Â I was disappointed that they only had one crappy beer on tap and the rest in bottles. Â I cannot bring myself to spend $5+ on a bottle of average beer.
Review Source:I go for reggae gold and I have a good time. Nice spacious location. The dance floor gets crowded but I prefer upstairs. Drinks are okay normal price ranges. Sometimes you wait for a super long time because the bar is packed. Mixed crowd all races and mostly mature crowd. The anniversary nights though more younger people come different from the normal folks.
My only issue is there needs to be more tissue for the bathroom and paper towels please !!
Very very intimate venue. They closed the second floor since they weren't expecting a huge crowd. The atmosphere was very chill and low-key but that might have had more to do with the ~50 people crowd. There are tables and chairs along the wall and around the bar so if you're early you might be able to get a seat.
The bartender was very friendly and suggest I try the Parish Punch which is freaking amazing!!! I forget what's in it but it had ginger beer which is my favorite. The people who work at the venue were very friendly as well. We got there right when the doors opened but didn't have time to eat. They gave us our wristbands and let us leave to grab some food even though they didn't allow ins and outs.
The area isn't too bad and there's a parking lot right across the street. If you get there early there should be plenty of street parking.
Seeing Zap Mama at the New Parish was to make my sweet summer even sweeter.
I purchased 3tickets for me and my fam' . The doors opened at 730 for the 830 show. We arrived just as the doors opened, got great seats, ordered a round of drinks and waited. 830...... waiting, 9..... waiting 930......waiting,10........ waiting....oh wait, a performer some chick performs leaves and then guess what? Wait some more. By 1045 we're like wtf! We go the door to find out when the headlining act "Zap Mama" is going to come on. Â Not only could they not tell us when, they acted as if we were out of touch with performances and inpatient. Double WTF!
I requested a refund and was told i needed to request through Ticketfly...i was also told i could call the following day and speak to someone in charge about my concerns. Â
the following morning i contact the Parish and was told Zap Mama was on stage at 1045. I'm now getting upset at this because we were still in the building at that time and she wasn't. I follow up that call with one to Ticketfly who informs me they need to contact the Parish to find out what occured. I made a total of 4 calls and sent 1email within 2.5 weeks. It took so long because according to them the Parish was not responding to their calls. When they finally did there response was she came on at 1050 therefore they would not offer a refund....For F'g real!!!!?What a joke!
This is hands down my favorite music venue in Oakland. I've always had an amazing time here and I love the variety of artists that they book. However, they recently implemented a VERY strict no smoking policy. It's Oakland so I sparked one up at the Kermit Ruffins show last night and I was promptly kicked out! Never in my life has this happened to me. The lady bouncer was clearly on a power trip. I felt the situation was dealt with very poorly. If she had just told me to put my joint out I would have respectively and not lit up again, but she was very rude and unnecessarily forceful. I will patronize the New Parish again as this has been my only negative experience there ever. However, I suggest they handle their situations better in the future and not be such hot heads and kick a peaceful patron out for breaking a NEW rule. I mean, c'mon!!
Review Source:I came here with some people for the "People's Party" about a year or maybe 2 years ago. Â
Cool party BUT the smell of the place was seriously unpleasant. Â I'd go as far as saying it might have been a health hazard it smelled so bad. Â Maybe it was a person or people but it really made it difficult to stay as the odor proceeded to be at the entry way, the bar and even upstairs. Â
I hope that when I do decide to give it another shot that it's nowhere close to the first experience... IF i can get myself to give it another shot.... **peeeeeeyew**
One of my favorite spots in Oakland! I came here for the first time during Hiero Day and experienced those "perfect verse[s] over a tight beat". As expected, the bar was packed, but it had a nice outdoor patio to get some fresh air. It is conveniently located near Telegraph so you can continue your barhop venture and there is ample amount of street parking nearby.
Recently I came for Reggae Sundays, which is free before 11PM; otherwise, the cover charge is $10. The New Parish is the place to be on Sundays! If you enjoy Reggae, you definitely won't be disappointed. The last hour they tend to play more pop music, which is when we decided to leave. I cannot wait to come back here!
Spacious, good vibes, chill people, awesome bartenders.
*Note: The credit card minimum is $15, so bring cash if you do not anticipate spending that amount on drinks.
Great intimate venue, very small enough space for fit about 100 people. I attended this venue with some of my girlfriends for a hip hop concert, the lighting was wonderful, view was perfect. Small was a good size, bar was great. Convenient location and lots of street parking.
I would highly recommend attending a concert here. GREAT PLACE!
The parish is the spot . Nothing fancy , no D-Bags , or prissy chicks . It's a place with a stage , a lot of room to dance , and a big chill patio area in the middle. Â The bartenders are on their game and the service is quick and painless. The crowd is always cool , and different depending on whos performing . There's plenty of parking and the admission is usually 5-10 bucks. Check it out .
Review Source:Near a parking garage... YES!
Saw Jose James here a few weeks ago... small intimate venue with an awesome view upstairs. Not a bad seat in the house and the patio is a nice break if you need a breath of fresh air. Bouncers and Host staff at the front are laid back which makes all the difference. Definitely will be back!
I came back on 3/9 for the same event Reggae Gold.
The experience was slightly different, the email to get on the guestlist was different and the entrance was different, but I stand by my rating!
Everyone is there to have fun and have a good time, the girls are super sexy and diverse, the music is jamming, the staff is polite and awesome, the bartender represents and makes the drinks just right. Â I love this place keep it up!
This place is just top notch. Â I have seen a variety of shows here and I have played here and the sound is awesome. Â I was here for the grand opening through yelp and had a great time (don't know why I never reviewed the place!). Â
The location leaves something to be desired but the venue is just too much fun to knock off a star. Â And I've never felt unsafe here, or right around the place. Â
So fear not Oakland, The New Parish is the place for your moneyz and booty shakin'!
I dig the New Parish! This might just be my new favorite bar/venue in Oakland. It's a great space, laid out well, with plenty of room. The crowd is chill and the bar staff always seem to be in good spirits. There is a nice outdoor area with plenty of seating and a small, but fun, stage area for live music. Better yet is the upstairs balcony that overlooks the bands. And, best of all are the free shows they put on once a month.
Review Source:Very cool. Â I dropped in last night for Reggae Gold. Â It was great. Â The reggae didn't start for a while, prior to that it was dancehall. What a find! I used to live in the Dominican Republic and spend a lot of time in the Caribbean and this place had the island vibe down to the T.
Great venue, big, brick. Â I have to wait til spring to return though, it's a bit drafty.
I like this venue. Plentiful street parking in the area. It's not large but it's not tiny either... it's juuuust the right size to really feel connected to the artist who's performing while also keeping the party atmosphere. Downstairs where the stage is at, that's where people really get down. People also like going out to the courtyard from there when it gets too hot inside.
Upstairs, there's more places to sit. I was lucky enough to nab a table and chairs with my bf right next to the railing, looking down at the stage, because I'm super short and would not have been able to see the artist otherwise. But I got to see EVERYTHING... no stress! There's also benches along the wall upstairs and a lounge area with couches. There's a private room that overlooks the stage... I went in there to look around because I was curious, and the couches in there were pretty wrecked but hey you'd be able to see every wrinkle and drop of sweat from there so I guess it might be worth it. I don't know why, but the entire upstairs has carpet. Why do bars/clubs/venues EVER have carpet?? Gross, I can only imagine all the nasty stains that have embedded themselves into the floor over years of drunken patrons mowing their way over them.
The people were chill and just down to have a good time, which I really appreciate. Although there was one group that was blatantly smoking a blunt... I guess I get annoyed with that like how I get annoyed with people smoking cigarettes right next to me in a confined space.... if I could choose, i would try NOT to have to smell your stink. Psh, thinking like your shit don't stink... next time I'm in a room with you I'll rip a big one and see if you like other people stinking up your air. Gosh.
Annnnnyhoo, I don't really drink, but my bf got a few drinks and they were alright. Although I do recall feeling kinda taken aback because the well drink he got in a plastic cup was way more expensive than I thought it should be.
Ah well. Bitching aside, I had a GREAT time! Would definitely go back to see more shows.
Let's be honest, you (me) rate a place based on the hotties it attracts. And then how it looks and feels.
New Parish is great (and so are lists):
+Diverse musical offerings means lots of fun shows
+Great (looking) crowd; seriously, this is where the cool kids go
+Decent set-up/design with two levels offering views of the stage and often other art/vendor offerings
+Attached via an outdoor courtyard to a restaurant and smaller bar which means, for you smokers, you have a place to go while still feeling "included" (but not so great for those of us who don't like smoke.)
Great venue, was there for Reggae Gold recently and had a blast. Â The dance floor was on fiyah! Â Very hot inside so it was nice to step out to the patio for some air. Â
At some point in the event the opened up the other club/bar adjacent to the patio (Rocksteady) and they had a DJ in there playing Rocksteady, so you could still dance in a more mellow environment. Â Will be back!!!!
Had the recent pleasure seeing PETER MURPHY at New Parish & had an A-OK time
Walk through a long corridor to the bar where the stage is set - you'll encounter a pleasant outdoorsie-type area & you'll also see neighboring restaurant, Hibiscus
Nice & small venue to give you a very intimate evening & this is always bonus in my book
The grounds also happen to share the same outdoor courtyard space as Hibiscus & we found for a while there, it was like battle of the bands to see who could play the loudest....but we were forced outside b/c it was bloody-awful hot inside - to the point I was getting tunnel vision & felt like I would pass out
Luckily there were plenty of seats available in their outdoor courtyard - which unfortunately for me also happens to be their smoking area
( I thought there was a 25 ft limit for smoking near eating establishments? Â But then again, what do I know.... but between smoky outside or sweltering inside, we opted for smoke )
As the BF & I were sitting out there, waiting out the opening bands, we see this girl being dragged out - she had just collapsed from heat exhaustion. Â After some very rude people would not move off the bench to allow her to lie down, they finally caved while another patron helped to make sure she was okay. Â The bouncer just sat & watched the whole thing - boo!
But considering I was almost in the same situation a few minutes beforehand, I could really appreciate knowing that my fellow concertgoers would look out for me. Â She lay for a bit, drank some water, cooled down, & was fine again - no harm, no foul
We went back inside as Mr Murphy was taking stage & he did a very short set then had some kind of meet & greet w/ his fans....which we didn't stay for. Â
We stood off to the side of the stage & the views were awesome. Â Sound was nice & loud & I liked how they didn't overcrowd the venue. Â Even though this was a sold out event, I didn't feel claustrophobic in the least - props!
Came here last week for the SF Cocktail Week "Totally Awesome East Bay to the Max" party. I had never heard of this place before until Nique F. invited me to the party. All I can say is THANK YOU! I probably have drove by this place multiple times and never once noticed it until last week.
Parking was fairly easy. We parked about a block away. I absolutely loved the outdoor patio. It was so nice to be able to sit and get some air without having to leave the venue. The venue has 2 floors... with 2 separate stairways to get there. Great! So not everyone was running for one stairway. I hate venues who have one way up, one way down. Makes for so much traffic.
The only downside I had was the women's restroom. I find it very unsanitary to place the rolls of toilet paper in the corner of the stall behind the toilet on the FLOOR! I was so turned off and beyond grossed out that I would have to reach on the floor of a public restroom for some toilet paper and get my face near the toilet which I don't know how many people lay their butts on. Also... fix the latch for the stall. Mine was loose, and I seriously panicked thinking I was locked in the stall! It needed to be tightened so it didn't jiggle so much.
Besides that, the event SF Cocktail Week put on was awesome! Plenty of vendors, a photobooth and inflatable instruments you could rock out to all night!
The New Parish may have become one of my new favorite venues.
Located right next to 19th St Oakland BART, and near bars and restaurants so you can easily grab dinner or drinks before your show.
I came here on 08/29 to see Ana Tijoux preform. My friend and I got to the venue at 8pm (still really early) to get some drinks and grab a spot.
The venue is set up in two levels, with a U-shape balcony upstairs so that you can look directly down at the artist or set up on the ground floor. They upstairs area has more of a lounge feel while the downstairs in more of a bar feel.
The New Parish is huge. Besides the large area downstairs and the balcony, they have a spacious courtyard that is connected to the Rock Steady bar next door.
The prices at the bar are pretty reasonable. We indulged in 3$ PBR all night and the wait at the bar wasn't that long.
My favorite part about the venue def. has to be the balcony. We were able to look down at Ana Tijoux and enjoy the show from a killer view and it wasn't too overwhelmingly crowded upstairs.
Overall, I'm down for the New Parish. I was able to catch the show and get on the last BART to SF by 12:50.
Not bad for a Wednesday.
Why update when being as good as it gets can't REALLY get better?
Because I freakin love this place and it just seems to amaze me how much fun I have here regardless of who is playing and what night of the week I happen to drop in.
Although the cover may be steeper than my norm price for one night of fun, Â I didn't mind stopping in for a couple hours to hear a outrageously talented funk band play.
Whoever books the bands has the angel's ear for what the masses like....variety, talent, and entertainment.
Keep on keepin on NP. I Â love your style.
Received quite a few emails from the owner. Here's one FTW:
Yeah Jenny
You really nailed us on yelp !! The last bastion for the weak and ineffectual to make their voices heard !
Awesome!! We're trembling under your expertise!
Awesome...you were so constructive.
I'm sure you are an amazing artist as well
Jason Perkins
EDIT: The continued unprofessional responses and emails from the owner of this establishment just gives me affirmation about my one star review. I would give zero if it were possible. Just to be clear, my complaint to the owner was never about the volume of the sound, but how his staff reacted to the request. Apparently I should not have been surprised, since it's obvious from how the owner handled our feedback that it's just how they do business at The New Parish.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! I scored some last minute tickets to see WU LYF here a couple months ago. It's dive-y/intimate enough so that I don't feel like a dickface going out for a night of xcore partying, but there's still plenty of ventilation and room to move. The acoustics are great, nice door guys, and for those who prefer to sit, there is an upstairs area with tables and chairs that offers a great view of the stage.
Depending on the night, you should be able to find decent street parking relatively close to the venue. I would be more drawn to this place if it had a better lineup!
I'm starting to believe it's true, that we all grow up and turn into our mothers. In my case, I am starting to hate crowds, my eardrums are becoming strangely sensitive, and sometimes I just want to sit and rest my weary old stumps. And what do you know...the New Parish covers all of my mom-ish bases. It's intimate but airy, with balcony seating for folks who just want to kick back and observe from above. They sell earplugs at coat check. There are all manner of alcoholic libations to keep little mama happy.
We ended up seeing some Latin rock group that was really fun & funky; all the gringos were calling them "Santana meets Sublime." The stage is small and accessible, so you can see smiles and sweat and all those human details that make smaller venues like New Parish extra special.
The ticket booth people can be sassy, especially if you spend any amount of time deliberating whether or not to come in. But this is a fine place to spend your Fri-night, or any night, with some unique local entertainment and a diverse crowd, so make the investment and don't look back. I betcha even your mom would like it.
Recently (February 10, 2012) me and my sister attended the Estelle with Stacy Barthe, Elle Varner & Luke James  concert (Luke James Who did not show up).
We got there a bit early, since we were not familiar with this location. As we were let into the building the guy checked our ticket and let us go in. We were confused because we had the VIP seating, with no one to guide us where to go. We double checked with the guy who checked us in and he pointed us upstairs to take the tickets. when we got upstairs there was no one was there, we found some seats. As more people came in we felt maybe we got jipped for our money, wondering how would this place know if anyone payed for VIP or GA (general admission). Eventually a lady who worked for The New Parish, questioned us if we bought the VIP tickets, asked us what name was our tickets under and if we had a VIP wristband.  I gave  her my first and last name, we told her we were wondering why they didn't give us a wristband. She let us know she would check our names & she'd return, never did.
This place is real nice, the upstairs has a nice view less crowded, compared to the downstairs.
the only con would be the lack of VIP process, it should be more orginized.
Great venue to see live music. It was my first time there, but whether you are upstairs looking down on the band or down in the crowd, the whole place had a really good vibe. I will definitely look into there future acts and go back.
We drank a few glasses of wine and it was reasonably priced so that was a major plus.
I've been here twice now for two very different events (a fundraiser and a concert) and both were a good time.
The New Parish is a good place to watch a moderately priced show and there is no other intimate venue like this in Oakland. It looks like some bigger acts are about to come through which should be cool.
I like the fact they have tables on the top floor. If you're feeling lazy, get here early and grab one to get an amazing view of the show.
There are a couple dings though. The bar has no beers on tap, only bottled. In addition, at last nights show, for whatever reason the sound tech could not get things under control. There was feedback during all three performances which, at a small venue like this, is only so pleasant. At one point the bassists  instrument just totally went out and it was like a solid 30 seconds before we could see anyone doing anything.
I like going to shows here, but as a DC native, it's no 9:30 club, sigh.
Came for Reggae Gold a few months ago with some friends and it was all around a fun time. Â Now granted I had just been in class for 10 hours that day and was not really in the mood for something so high energy, but still managed to have a good time. Â The crowd was fun with many people gettin *down* and others being creepers. Â When I had had enough and wanted to chill outside and read news articles on my phone, no one bugged me (and yes I am that chick at the club that will sit in the corner and nerd out by herself when she's tired).
If you're into reggae and dancehall definitely check out reggae gold, and if you're into nice sized venues with a good sized outside patio for relaxing, head here.
Oh man, thank god for The New Parish. When I first moved to Oakland, I lived on the same block, only a few doors down from this venue. Were it not for the shows, I'd be all the more paranoid walking home once the sun went down. Safety aside, The New Parish is exactly what that neighborhood needs plus it brings in some awesome folk, indie and hip hop acts. My only wish is that it attracted a few more mid-level acts in the indie category.
I've checked out a number of (((folkYEAH!))) produced shows and love the affordable pricing. For those who frequent spots like The Stork Club, this is a far cry from the ramshackle, low-rent furnishings that make the aforementioned venue what it is. And compared to the Uptown, The New Parish feels like less of a club and more like a venue committed to bands.
Another perk is the patio sandwiched between TNP and Hibiscus (the sister restaurant under the same management). An awesome (albeit pricey) spot for pre-show dinner - just be sure to make reservations. My final tip is for parking. Make sure you're parked on a non-cleaning side of the street (in this area, there's street cleaning almost every night at midnight) and if you can't score street parking, there's an open lot on 19th street between MLK and Jefferson that you can pay $5 bucks for.
Saw Dave Chappelle here the other night and had an amazing time. The venue itself is cozy (not overly crowded like Cobbs in the City), it allows for a more intimate show with the performer.
Chappelle himself was brilliant (of course) and sat on a stool chain smoking through his entire set.
I don't venture out to Oakland very often but the ride over was easy, parking was extremely easy and checking in with will call was seamless. This is a great venue and I'd easily come back whether via BART or driving for a comedy show.
As a comedy club, this place sucks.
NOW LISTEN UP! Â I'm not taking into account the fabulous talent I came here to see. Â Mr. Dave Chapelle, this has nothing to do with you!
Digg #1:
I prepaid for my tickets online. Â When I handed my ID to will call, they wanted to see the credit card that I purchased the tickets with. Â Well guess what, I happened to misplace that card. Â I showed her a TON of other cards with my name on it. Â She threw down serious attitude and told me, "well, you're not supposed to get in." Â WHAT? Â LADY, I paid for my tickets and you have my ID. Â I'M GETTING IN. Â And that's what I did. Â
Digg #2:
Drink security is in full force, and almost as lame as airport security if you ask me. Â As soon as 2:00am rolled around, tap-tap on the shoulder, "You need to finish that drink NOW." Â
WHAT? Â Where were we? Â On an airplane ready to land? Â **Where was security when I was sampling second-hand marijuana smoke against my will?**
Digg #3:
The inside is just a glorified crap hole. Â No food (ok fine, but not even peanuts?!), crappy plastic cups, and it's COLD. Â Even Dave himself mentioned how cold he was. Â They couldn't even turn on some heat for him?
None of this has anything to do with Mr. Chapelle, whom I adore. Â I'm still laughing my you-know-what off. Â
With that said, this club sucks and I wouldn't return to see Chapelle or anyone else. Â
TRY PUNCHLINE OR COBBS in SAN FRAN.
Preface: I'm going with three stars for now due to some opening-night inconveniences and snags, but will *definitely* return to give them the additional stars I feel they'll work up to! Also, I would like to submit that I should have first to review Town Hall since I actually attended their first night open last night and these other two dudes haven't even been there yet ;)
For their first event ever, Town Hall had a super secret performance by Dave Chappelle - his first performance in Oakland since 1996! - with special performances by some amazing, hawt singer (sorry, I didn't catch her name) and MC Supernatural! They did a great job of keeping the event unpublicized, had a convenient and quality method of buying tickets and getting information about the actual event location online and processed the somehow still long line/guest list very well for their first evening open. The crowd was the perfect size - full but not oversold or uncomfortable in the least.
We were one of the first groups to arrive and I was pleased by the laid back yet stylish look of the place. Brick walls, minimal yet tasteful wall decorations, classic comedy-style cocktail tables with four chairs at each, out-of-the-way bar and a mezzanine area above the stage for additional seating. There are a few structural beams in the way for certain of the tables, but for the most part, the layout of the audience is good and it's pretty easy to navigate from the tables to the bathrooms and bar. It wasn't open to the general crowd last night, but there's a very large, classy-looking outside patio/smoking area behind the main room. Good for smokers... and those who have consumed a little too much and need some fresh air alike.
There wasn't a full bar and all of the bottled beers, Redbulls and waters we got were luke -warm at best, but our waitress told us they had just opened the bar today and my friends' drinks came **really** strong. The bar issues are kind of to be expected on the first day though, and I'm glad they made up for it with value drinks ;) Table service was consistent, with plenty of cute female staff (Dave couldn't help but comment) that seemed to be pretty on it.
The women's bathroom is pretty small - just three stalls - but nicely decorated and clean. This being opening night, there were some snags with the plumbing and the women's room had to be closed due to flooding. For a while the bouncers were helping patrons share the men's room by alternating which sexes went in but eventually the owners opened another bathroom off the patio for the women.
Over-all, the staff seemed friendly and dedicated to doing the best job they could for their patrons on opening night. This makes me confident that this is going to be a cool club and a hot spot. Way to go Town Hall!
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