San Francisco - Alison Bing [154]
BOTTOM OF THE HILL
Map
415-621-4455; www.bottomofthehill.com; 1233 17th St; admission $5-12; shows after 8:30pm Tue-Sat, other nights vary; 19, 22
Top of the list for seeing fun local bands, like punk-polka Polkacide and goth-psychedelic Bellavista, Bottom of the Hill is out of the way – literally at the bottom of Potrero Hill – but worth the trek for indie-rockers. Big smokers’ patio. Check the website for lineup and ticket info (if necessary).
CAFÉ DU NORD/SWEDISH AMERICAN HALL Map
415-861-5016; www.cafedunord.com; 2170 Market St; admission price varies; 7pm or 8pm-2am; 22, 37, J, K, L, M
You never know what’s doing at Café du Nord, a former basement speakeasy, with bar and showroom. Rockers, chanteuses, comedians, raconteurs and burlesque acts perform nightly, and the joint still looks like it must’ve in the ‘30s. The hall upstairs features bigger acts, balcony seating and Scandinavian woodworking, but no booze. Tickets are available online. It’s sometimes closed for private events; check out the calendar online.
ELBO ROOM Map
415-552-7788; www.elbo.com; 647 Valencia St; admission $5-20; 5pm-2am; 14, 26, 33, 49; 16th St Mission
The Elbo Room draws a diverse indie crowd and showcases diverse acts in its upstairs black-box performance space, including rockabilly, salsa and reggae, with emphasis on funk and soul. Come any night for the (free) chill downstairs bar. There are $2 pints from 5pm to 9pm.
FILLMORE AUDITORIUM Map
415-346-6000; www.thefillmore.com; 1805 Geary Blvd; admission $20-40; box office 10am-4pm Sun, 7:30-10pm show nights; 2, 3, 4, 22, 38
Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Doors – they all played the Fillmore. Now you might catch the Indigo Girls, Duran Duran or Tracy Chapman in the historic 1250-capacity standing-room theater (if you’re polite and lead with the hip, you might squeeze up to the stage). Don’t miss the priceless collection of psychedelic posters in the upstairs gallery.
GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL
Map
415-885-0750; www.musichallsf.com; 859 O’Farrell St; admission $12-35; box office 10:30am-6pm Mon-Fri & on show nights; 19, 38
Once a bordello, the rococo Great American Music Hall is one of SF’s coolest places for shows. A balcony with table seating rims the main standing-room floor area, the sound system is top-notch, and there are food and drinks. Music ranges from rock, alt-rock and country, to jazz and blues.
HOTEL UTAH Map
415-546-6300; www.hotelutah.com; 500 4th St; bar admission free, shows $7-12; 11:30am-2am Mon-Fri, 6pm-2am Sat & Sun; 27, 30, 45, N
Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams broke in the stage on the ground floor of a Victorian residence hotel in the ’70s, and now it’s a sure bet for indie-label favorites and acts you may only see in SF. The nonconformist streak goes deep here: back in the ’50s the bartender graciously served Beats, grifters and Marilyn Monroe, but snipped the ties of businessmen when they leaned across the bar.
INDEPENDENT Map
415-771-1421; www.theindependentsf.com; 628 Divisadero St; tickets $15-100; box office 11am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 9:30pm show nights, doors 7:30pm or 8:30pm; 5, 21, 24
One of the city’s coolest live-music venues, the Independent showcases damn-good up-and-coming acts, big names like Green Day, old bands like Erasure, and wacky events like the US Air Guitar Championships. The box-shaped room gets sweaty as hell when the crowd jumps.
MAKE-OUT ROOM Map
415-647-2888; www.makeoutroom.com; 3225 22nd St; live music cover $5-10; 6pm-2am; 14, 26, 48, 49; 24th St Mission
Velvet curtains and round booths add dusty swank to the evening’s entertainment, which ranges from improv to punk-rock fiddle to occasional minor celebs – sometimes on the same night. For lovers of the indie underground, the Make-Out’s a must.
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STRIP JOINTS
City oligarchs feign shame over the highly visible strip clubs, but in reality SF seems proud of its historically seedy