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San Francisco MusicI LOVE music! Especially live music in San Francisco! San Francisco music venues have been a staple in entertainment history and continues to be a huge stepping stone for many independent and up and coming artists- & not to mention all the big names that still come through! Experience the sound of San Francisco within this page whatever your taste in music is, you'll ind just the right venue to hear it in! 12 Galaxies Massive indie club features art rock. Bar/Club 2565 Mission St San Francisco, CA 94110 415.970.9777 "The second floor is also a safe place to slither if you've dared to come dressed in Banana Republic or anything featuring natural fibers. There's a pool table, and a touch more social interaction. 12 Galaxies makes you feel like there's a virtual universe of hipster happenings. 12 Galaxies is a one-of-a-kind space, and the owners have done a beautiful job of restoring it." -- Arne Johnson Boom Boom Room "The late blues master John Lee Hooker opened the Boom Boom as an informal place for people to get together and listen to blues. It's attitude-free and simple enough for anyone to feel comfortable - - but there's a lot of history here. Not only was it founded by a blues great, but the club's location (between Japantown and the Fillmore Auditorium in what's now referred to as the Western Addition) is also significant. In the 1940s and 1950s, the neighborhood was the heart of West Coast blues, known as the Fillmore. Hooker chose the address because it used to be one of his favorite clubs. The razing of the district for "urban renewal" forced most of the clubs, and many of the residents, out of the city entirely. When the club first opened, one of the best aspects was a table continuously reserved for Hooker, who would drop by and listen in at least once a month. Now his spirit seems to preside over the dark and cozy nightclub. Though Hooker was a Delta bluesman, he liked every form of the music, and the club still showcases a variety of local and national talent seven days a week. Expect to hear every genre -- raunchy LA, countrified Texas, acoustic Delta, electric Chicago, Louisiana swamp and piano-based West Coast Blues -- plus fusions of all the above along with danceable funk, soul and jazz jams. You'll be surrounded by a mixed crowd of black and white, old and young." -- Julie Ross The Fillmore Auditorium "Music promoter Bill Graham is the man generally credited with making the Fillmore the San Francisco rock institution that it is today. In the '60s, Graham brought Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and other influential rock bands here, making the Fillmore home base for the San Francisco psychedelic-rock scene. After a several-year hiatus in the '80s, the Fillmore emerged as one of San Francisco's most prominent hosts for touring acts. The dark, cavernous space is mostly standing (or dancing) room only, with a few, highly coveted cocktail tables on the upstairs balcony. The heavy curtains, candelabras and red tones of the interior give it an intimate ambience. You can see the acts fairly well from any point, but bring earplugs in case you end up next to a speaker. When you enter, stop to admire the scores of psychedelic rock posters adorning the walls. And, feel free to grab an apple from the barrel in the foyer, which has been a Fillmore tradition since it opened." -- Jim Christie Cafe Du Nord "Built in 1907, Cafe Du Nord was once a speakeasy, and time seems to stand still here. After waiting in line, you'll descend into a basement room that looks like a set from 'The Cotton Club.' Come early on weekends and order dinner; stay late and watch the staff clear the tables off the floor to make way for dancing. Each night features a different type of music, from jazz to rock to American roots, with an occasional live poetry reading. Well known acts frequent this small venue, and tickets will easily sell out for bigger names. No matter the genre, the club's bookers have good taste. Local faves Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, for example, played here before they hit it big. Much like its Upper Market/Castro neighborhood, the crowd at Cafe Du Nord is mixed. Some nights draw drag queens, others draw eyelinered goths or surly indie rock hipsters. Like all San Francisco music venues in this area, it welcomes people of all persuasions, but the crowd is mixed and changes depending on the evening's entertainment. Cafe Du Nord also operates the Swedish American Hall, a spectacular grand ballroom that lies upstairs in the same building and is used as a live music venue." -- Lorraine Sanders Bottom of the Hill "The bookers at Bottom of the Hill seem to work overtime lining up an ever-changing roster of bands, both big and small, three times a night, seven days a week. This beloved venue for live music is not only intimate, with standing crowds pressed right up against the shallow stage, but also screams with colorful retro personality. This is not your dark, brooding music club. The walls are painted bright, a giant neon sign points to the kitchen (serving bar food), and a Spanish-style faux landscape of clay tile roof runs along the wall. Because random passersby won’t be dropping into this remote Potrero Hill club, it’s rare to see bands without some local following – sometimes the only one they have. The club fosters a healthy mix of decibel levels, from hard rock and punk to more sensitive crooners. Depending on who plays, the in-the-know crowd mirrors it exactly. A little courtyard, which looks more like an emergency exit, lets patrons smoke while overhearing the show. The crowd sometimes runs young because of the occasional 18+ night. This friendly little hall is a great way to get up-close and sweaty with musicians, without feeling bad afterwards." -- Esti Iturralde Slim's "Opened in 1988 by rock musician Boz Scaggs of The Steve Miller Band, Slim's is an awesome spot to catch live music in San Francisco. You'll find up-and-coming touring acts and sometimes a genuine rock star or two performing in this intimate club. You can get close to the musicians on stage and enjoy more floor space near the L-shaped bar near the back of the club. Slim's is small enough for excellent sight lines no matter where you stand. For those who want to take a seat, there is a second-floor balcony with chairs and tables with a waitperson to deliver food and drinks. The type of crowd varies, depending on the genre of music and band scheduled. Shows often sell out, but the design of the space allows you to move around without feeling too crowded." -- AOL "Of the numerous San Francisco nightspots that feature live music, many people list the Great American Music Hall as their favorite. The building itself is as classy as it gets, and it's full of history. It first opened in 1907 as Blanco's, a French-inspired symbol of San Francisco's rebirth after the Great Earthquake. Since then, it has served as a swank dance club in the '30s (called Sally Rand's Music Box); a jazz club after World War II; and a Moose lodge during the '50s before falling into neglect. It was spared from demolition and spruced up for rebirth as a French restaurant. In 1972, it returned to its music roots and opened as Great American Music Hall. Luminaries such as Duke Ellington, The Grateful Dead and Robin Williams have graced its stage. The hall has one main floor and a U-shaped balcony upstairs with small tables, from which you can view the show below perfectly. There are two bars and a performance list as eclectic as anywhere in the city." -- AOL The Independent "There aren't many real, raised-up, stage-dive worthy platforms in small clubs in San Francisco, but the space that has housed the The Justice League, The Kennel Club, and now, The Independent, has one of the best. The stage is strangely situated against a wall in the middle of the floor, so the audience fans around it rather than straight back. Directly opposite is the well-stocked bar. There's an upstairs for VIPs, but the real action happens on the floor, where sweaty kids pogo and bop to an eclectic choice of music. The crowd is just as eclectic, but almost always game for giddy fun. There's very little attitude amongst the scruffily hip horde. The location on a dark stretch of Divisadero with very little parking can make things challenging, but the neighborhood seems on the way up." -- Arne Johnson SF Weekly Warfield "In the 1920s, the Warfield was a vaudeville house where audiences watched entertainers such as Al Jolson. Today it plays host to pop, rock and comedy acts. For music events, the theater clears the gigantic dance floor in front of the stage, where you can shake your thing and watch the action at the same time. The main theater area is general seating. Get there early, because the acts that pass through here -- everything from Phil Lesh to Nick Cave to Kids in the Hall -- are immensely popular. If crowds aren't your scene, retreat to the cocktail tables and chairs in back. You can also purchase a reserved balcony seat in advance, which will guarantee not only a comfortable seat but also a jaw-dropping view of the theater's art deco splendor and old-time performance-theater charm. It can be trippy to see a band like Slayer in such a beautifully styled San Francisco music venue, but that's part of the allure." -- Lewis Tice Go from San Francisco Music to San Francisco Entertainment
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