Visit The Alley Cat Bar Oakland At 3325 Grand Avenue

Visit The Alley! The Alley Cat Bar, the legendary local landmark at 3325 Grand Avenue in Oakland, and that’s so much a part of Oakland’s history, and is one of a few active piano bars in the World, needed our help to stay open during The Pandemic. That effort raised $75,000 and allowed it to also gain a new and much needed kitchen.

I, Zennie Abrahan, am a long time patron of The Alley going back to 1997, and non-singer made into a “ham-level” Sinatra singer thanks to the work of the late Rod Dibble, who was the piano player from 1960 to 2016, and best known for The Oakland Song, I am calling on all patrons and fans and lovers of Oakland Culture to pitch-in whatever they can and help my long-time friend, Jackie Simpkins, keep The Alley a going concern, simply by visting.

The Alley Cat Bar Oakland’s Story:

The Alley, established in 1933, is an Oakland institution that has survived nine decades of economic ups and downs and remains one of the nation’s last traditional piano bars. Honored in 2016 as a local historic property, The Alley has played host to amateur crooners and famous musicians alike. Performers have included Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Merv Griffin, and Lionel Hampton. Countless visitors have passed through the bar’s saloon-style doors over the years, including Dave Brubeck, Greg Allman, Green Day, Steve Bowman from Counting Crows, and Adam Levine from Maroon 5.

The bar has been a “home away from home” for drop-in fans, devoted hard-core regulars, and visitors from around the world who marvel at its uniqueness. It’s the center of a thriving and devoted piano bar community that continues to sing songs from The Great American Songbook, a tradition that was maintained by the late Rodney Dibble, The Alley’s piano player for 50+ years.

The Alley was used as a pivotal location for the 2018 film, Blindspotting, featuring Oakland’s Daveed Diggs and Berkeley’s Rafael Casal. It was also used in The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo, Diary of A Teenage Girl, and many music videos as well as on Zennie62 YouTube Channel, which has the most video-blogs from the Alley on YouTube. The Alley is a place of cultural and historical significance that would be a tragedy to lose due to this pandemic.