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San Francisco Live Music
I 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 & coming
artists- and 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!
Buy Tickets to your favorite Live Music show HERE!
The Fillmore Auditorium
1805 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco
415.346.6000
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Music lives on at this
historic San Francisco music venue.
Music promoter Bill Graham is the main reason the Fillmore is the San
Francisco rock institution that it is today. Today you can see anything
from hip hop & country to comedy shows & indie rock.
The dark, intimate space is mostly standing (or dancing) room only,
with a few, highly coveted cocktail tables on the upstairs balcony.
There is no "bad" spot in the theater, but get there early if you want
to be in front for "general admission" tickets.
"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
SF Weekly Warfield
982 Market St
San Francisco
415.567.2060
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Rock out in art deco
splendor.
"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
admission so get there early!
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." -- Lewis Tice
Boom Boom Room
1601 Fillmore
San Francisco
415.673.8000
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Cozy blues club in a
neighborhood with history.
"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.
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
12 Galaxies
2565 Mission St
San Francisco
415.970.9777
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Massive indie club
features art rock.
"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 is a one-of-a-kind space, and the owners have done a
beautiful job of restoring it." -- Arne Johnson
Cafe Du Nord
2170 Market St
San Francisco
415.861.5016
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Former speakeasy books
eclectic shows.
"Built in 1907, Cafe Du Nord was once a speakeasy, and time seems to
stand still here. 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." -- Lorraine Sanders
Bottom of the Hill
1233 17th St
San Francisco
415.621.4455
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Live music thrives in
Potrero 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.
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
333 11th St
San Francisco
415.255.0333
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Popular acts play rocker
Boz Scaggs' club.
"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
Great American Music Hall
859 O'Farrell St.
San Francisco
415.885.0750
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Historical venue is an
San Francisco music favorite.
"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
628 Divisadero
San Francisco
415.771.1421
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Big bar with a bona fide
stage.
"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." -- Arne
Johnson
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