Performance
1015 Folsom
Biggest club in the city
1015 is the biggest club in the city and 20,000 square feet and 150,000 watts can make for a good party► - check the schedule.
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49ers
In Harbaugh we trust...
Following the boom-bust rollercoaster just like local tech workers and the original forty niners, coach Jim Harbaugh (who is from Palo Alto and coached Stanford previously) seems to be leading the niners out of the lean times, even if they haven't returned to the golden era► of Montana, Rice, Lott, Young, Walsh, et al :)
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American Conservatory TheaterMashing up classic and contemporary performances in a intimately vertical (and historic) theater beside Union Square, the ACT can be great!
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Amoeba Music
Record hounds *beware*
Amoeba is by-far San Francisco's biggest and best known music store - and self-proclaimed "World's Largest Independent Record Store" :)
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Asia SF
Asian fusion :)
Smoking hot trans-gals► augment fruity beverages and passable food for a festive SOMA scene!
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Ballet
Beyond belief
The first professional ballet company in the United States, San Francisco Ballet is possibly the most highly regarded performance group in the area.
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BATS Improv
Keepin' it real...
With every performance 100% plan-free (much less practice!) and imbibed with audience input (and sometimes on-stage participation) - BATS amuses, inspires and, occasionally... falls totally flat :)
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Bazaar Café
Fresh music and eats
By refusing ASCAP music licensing payments, the warm Bazaar Café effectively guarantees its patrons previously unheard sonic experiences►. Quality varies - but with no cover charge and tasty food, it's a good risk :)
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Beach Blanket Babylon
Larger than life - and funnier too :)
Combining massive millinery with nearly continuous music, song and dance - BBB jets the audience through time and space in blinks of an eye - spoofing everyone from Tiger Woods to Louis XIV, and reliably delivering a hilarious performance.
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Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Making it, Big time
Renamed in honor of SF music mega-promoter Bill Graham, the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is a full city-block and hosts the biggest musical performances in SF (capacity 7,000).
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Bimbo's 365
Lounge par excellence
At the far end of North Beach, Bimbo's puts together a solid calendar of music►, parties►... and burlesque► (!) in a lounge-y atmosphere. They also host a lot of private events, so definitely check the calendar.
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Bliss Bar
Rockin' the Noe
A little too blissed out with the DJ to read the Noe Valley memo, this lively little bar can improve your sex life without hiking over to the Castro - and it's not even that little :)
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Blondie's Bar & No Grill
Everything but the grill
Pool tables, double-wide drinks, dj's, live music, outdoor patio - Blondie's Bar and No Grill is no classier (or hipper) than its name suggests, but hosts a reliably lively party!
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Boom Boom Room
And we like the boom
Founded by the late blues legend John Lee Hooker►, BBR hosts a reliably good lineup that often results in dancing!
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Bottom of the Hill
Rockin the hill
Jam-packed with shows (6+ nights/week) and people, Bottom of the Hill burns hotter than most - arrive early or get tickets in advance.
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Bruno's
One stop party
Burning Man
Reality will return after these brief messages
No longer held in San Francisco, or even California (Nevada), the Burning Man festival is a big part of San Francisco life for many residents. The event is a week long and held on a dried lake bed - attracting upwards of 50,000 people► annually and otherwise defying brief description.
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Cafe du Nord
Better than it ever was...
6+ shows► a week in a subterranean Victorian speak-easy gone legit, Cafe du Nord is in a league of its own - check the schedule!
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Castro Theater
Delightful theater, excellent films
An organist plays the pipes► before most shows at this Spanish Colonial theater. Most runs are classic or independent films.
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DNA Lounge
Where the wild things are
Starting with "Death Guild" on Mondays, the DNA lounge pushes SOMA through the week with performance, dance, and beverages in a large split-level venue. Bootie on (most) Saturday nights hosts a reliably packed party.
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El Rio
Mission houseparty
This Outer Mission domestic space turned jack-of-all-fun venue hosts live bands, djs, comedy shows, salsa dancing, margaritas, drag queens, backyard patio, pool table, barbecue, oysters, etc - best check the schedule, cash only!
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Elbo Room
Prohibition-era bar rocks on
With a bar downstairs and a stage on top (with dance floor) the Elbo Room hosts lively and diverse music within close proximity to other Mission night life. Check the calendar for upcoming shows.
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Exit Theatre
Fringe of the fringe
Throwing a "Fringe Festival" in San Francisco is a bold endeavor, and the venerable► Exit Theatre prepares all year with a variety of wild (and independent) shows, check the schedule!
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Farley's
Making the sun rise
A centroid of social activity in Potrero Hill, Farley's serves great coffee in a friendly atmosphere with outdoor seating!
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Folsom Street Fair
Tour or Terror?
The last Sunday of September brings the world's largest S&M/leather event (with 400,000 attendees) to SOMA, replacing the usual car traffic with a sea of skin and black-leather.
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Gay Pride Weekend
World's finest "political party"
Often referred to simply as "Pride" and possibly the biggest annual party in San Francisco - Gay Pride makes other "political parties" seem pasty and gray, and the transcendence of oppression into a massive for-anyone great-vibes party is simply remarkable.
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Giants
Home of the Giants
As the only major sports team playing in urban San Francisco, the Giants enjoy special support among locals. AT&T park (its 3rd name since opening in 2000 when the Giants left the now 49ers-only Candlestick Park) is a relatively small open-air stadium providing nice views of the bay and not much protection from the wind.
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Glide Memorial Church
Salvation through music
A heavyhitter in San Francisco's progressive political arena - Glide builds on a foundation of gospel singing►!
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Grace Cathedral
Holy Cathedral, Batman! Gothic is bigger than you
Nob Hill's heavyweight hood ornament is a must-visit for those intrigued by cathedrals and architecture. In addition to stunning stained glass, there are two meditation labyrinths► (outside and in), and three massive organs.
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Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Who let the strings out?
Founded in 2001 by the late private equity entrepreneur Warren Hellman, and combining an A-list of acoustic musicians and no admission (thanks Warren!) Hardly Strictly is a major musical event! More than a half million folks attend during the three day weekend.
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Herbst Theatre
Beaux Arts
Adjoining the Symphony, Opera and Ballet, Herbst hosts (typically) more modern musical performances and lectures in a beautiful Beaux-Arts building (the signing place of the UN charter in 1945), across the street from City Hall - check the calendar.
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Hooverball
What is that game???
San Francisco became a major center of Hooverball following a surprise 2nd place finish in the national championships a couple years ago!
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Kryolan
Take a break from yourself :)
A favorite among street performers, actors, burners, and anyone looking to be someone else for a while - Kryolan's astounding collection of high-quality makeup and beauty products provide a huge range of colorful possibilities (including metallics and fluorescents!)
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Make-Out Room
A room for making out
No guarantees on "making out", but this Mission classic hosts a reliably good time with a strong calendar of live shows and djs.
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Mission Dolores
The original missionary position
The oldest building in San Francisco, Mission Dolores de Asis still holds mass and provides visitors► a window into the native Ohlone culture (at least, the end of it), and Spanish colonization of San Francisco, with still-working bells►.
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OperaThe 2nd biggest Opera in North America (to the Met in NYC) - the season runs roughly from September until July.
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Punch LineSF's longest running and only full-time (every night!) comedy club, the Punch Line combines all-star with newcomers in a relatively small venue... with good visibility (!)
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Rickshaw Stop
Rolling Rickshaws!
This eclectic split-level single-wide hosts a full bar, a dance floor, diverse musical performance, fun(!)draisers... and rickshaws! Don't miss the wheelchaired variety upstairs :)
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Rrazz RoomAn intimate upscale lounge in the Hotel Nikko with a full performance calendar, the Rrazz Room can be a good option - and, hey, maybe some dancing with Lil' Kim► :)
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Ruby Skye
Explore your rhythm..
Big and glamorous with an often-packed dance floor and music trending electronic, Ruby Skye has been on the SF circuit for 10 years and is still going strong. The performances between sets are often impressive - acrobats, fetish, fire, etc :)
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Stern Grove Festival
Not as stern as it sounds
The longest running free concert in the United States, the festival is a great way to spend a summer Sunday afternoon. There are a lot of other folks who think so too, and arriving early is the name of the game for getting good seats.
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Symphony
Amazing music, hall
Conducted by the talented Michael Tilson Thomas in the eye-popping Davies Symphony Hall, the symphony delights►!
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The Fillmore
The Dead, the Doors, the Who... and you?
The city's illustrious concert venue has hosted most of the best-known bands► since the mid-1960's and thousands of others►. It's prominence continues to this day. Live-music enthusiasts are well advised to check the schedule. The only larger live music venues in SF are the Warfield and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
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The Independent
Live music live.
This venue has been pumping live music into Alamo Square for 30+ years (previously as the "Justice League").
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The MarshA self-described "breeding ground for new performance", the Marsh hosts some amazing solo performances► in addition to organizing classes and youth performances.
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TIX Bay Area
Snooze and win
TIX Bay Area rewards procrastinators, bums and other degenerates with half-price tickets to performances!
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Trannyshack
Larger than life!
The inimitable► Heklina runs SF's best-known and longest-running drag show and still rocks her stilettos for a great performance!
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Warfield
Gratefully alive
A former favorite of Jerry Garcia and his Grateful Dead, this theater-turned-concert-venue is second in size only to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, the Warfield's 2300 capacity often sells out (general admission downstairs and seating upstairs), buy a ticket ahead of time or be prepared to scalp.
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Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Steps ahead
A bipolar museum-theater► with no permanent exhibits, the YBCA's caffeinated calendar demands a peak.
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Zoo
Critter connections
Peacocks► roam, koalas► sleep, tigers kill, and children run around and scream... it's a zoo out there :)
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