Entertainment in San Francisco
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Bar 821
Bar 821 has a noteworthy selection of Belgian beers, but seems to want everyone to know that it doesn't want to be discovered by anyone. There's no sign out front (look for a bit of decorative neon around the door), and the highly visible house rules instruct patrons not to tell anyone about the place. (This review violates Rule No 5.) Another odd twist: the doors close nightly at 23:00 for an 'after-party' that ends at midnight.
reviewed
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B
Café du Nord/Swedish American Hall
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, with balcony seating and Scandinavian woodwork, hosts miscellaneous events. Check the online calendar.
reviewed
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C
Chaps II
Chaps II promises what its eponymous 1970s predecessor delivered: leather, kink, gear and cruising. Black walls, vintage-’70s leather-porn posters and red lighting provide sexy visuals, but the place rarely fills. SF needs a hard-cruise bar in these days of online hook-ups, but will men really leave their keyboards? We remain hopeful. Best between 9pm and midnight, Thursday to Saturday, after which everyone goes to Powerhouse.
reviewed
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D
Midnight Sun
This video bar is a favorite of khaki-clad suburbanites who aren't entirely comfortable socializing unless there's something specific to divert their attention. The Dynasty era marked its heyday, but crowds still come for American Idol, and it remains a reliable place to…well, watch TV. Best time: early evening.
reviewed
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E
Bambuddha Lounge
Vinyl beds, mojitos and occasional glimpses of B-grade rock stars through bamboo thickets – Bambuddha is SF’s answer to Miami. We dig the hot bartenders and cool poolside happy hour (5:30-7pm Wed-Fri) on sunny afternoons, but evenings can go either way, when the pool closes and well-scrubbed 20-to-30-somethings flirt with each other inside the minimalist concrete space and groove to club-dance music.
reviewed
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F
26Mix
It looks like an ordinary dive, but Latin-owned 26Mix is clearly all about DJs and dancing. A little ways beyond the central Mission District, 26Mix showcases the talents of local DJs every night of the week, with karaoke on Wednesdays. The sound system pops and the crowd is pretty low key. The club tends to get cranking later in the evening, and when it's packed it gets downright steamy. Early weeknights can be slow, and drinks are pricey.
reviewed
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G
Porchlight
This monthly event is no ordinary reading series. Each month six interesting people are invited to recount a 10-minute story, without notes or memorization. The lineup is downright wacky, with people from all walks of life – from school-bus drivers to sex-workers. At this writing, Porchlight had moved to a new venue that serves alcohol, making it inappropriate for anyone under 21; verify current location and ticket information online.
reviewed
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H
Theater Artaud
Trooping across this stage are local, national and international theater, music and dance troupes. Acts have ranged from a world premiere noir thriller to a multimedia celebration of Iranian literary arts. Behind the scenes, the Artaud is a live-work space that started up in 1972, way before the concept became common. Although a highly successful operation, it's one of the city's most adventurous houses. (They really like gettin' naked here.)
reviewed
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Liss Fain Dance
This is one of the most innovative modern-dance troupes in San Fran. The dancers have solid classical training, yet they look for ways to crack, if not actually break, the mold. Their movement is precise, but imbued with an athletic physicality not only very American, but very western American. Performances combine movement and music with strong visual design. Check the website for details of performances held in venues throughout the Bay Area.
reviewed
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1015 Folsom
One of the city's biggest clubs, 'Ten-Fifteen' has been eclipsed by Temple and Ruby Skye but still draws huge postcollegiate crowds for Friday house DJ headliners and some serious dancers for Saturday Pura Latin nights. The main hall is enormous, and four other dance floors mean you could lose your posse if you're momentarily entranced by videos projected onto the 400ft water wall. If you're a sound purist, 1015's basement has one of the best systems in the city. Be prepared for a pat-down before you enter; there's a serious no-drugs (or weapons) policy. Usually free before 10:15pm, though drinks run $10 to $15; see the calendar for events in the main hall and adjacent…
reviewed
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Commonwealth Club
You know you've arrived when the Commonwealth Club asks you to speak. Every US president since Teddy Roosevelt has spoken at the club, the longest-running, most influential public-affairs forum in the US. Intellectual luminaries and other important figures speak at over 400 annual events. Topics range from politics and economics to culture and society. Many programs are broadcast on public radio stations nationwide, including local affiliate KQED-FM (88.5).
reviewed
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K
Mighty
In a former warehouse sequestered in a no-man's land between SoMa, the Mission and Potrero Hill, Mighty packs a wallop with its awesome sound system, underground dance music, urban vibe, graffiti-esque art and cool local crowd who don't fuss about dress codes. Weekend DJs (occasionally big names) veer towards electronic, dance-house and hip-hop; on other nights, events vary wildly from geek-out SF Next Tech meet-ups and nonprofit benefit literary readings to gay Mustache Parties (check website).
reviewed
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L
Hemlock Tavern
When you wake up tomorrow with peanut shells in your hair (weren’t they all over the floor?), a stiff neck from rocking entirely too hard to the Family Curse (weren’t they good?) and someone else’s mascara on your armpit (should we even ask?), you’ll know it was another successful night at the Hemlock. Weekday nights, stand-up comedy and literary readings are anything but staid among this motley crowd of raucous, party-hardy San Franciscans.
reviewed
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M
Underground Sf
Underground SF is made for being yourself (be it hippie-dyke, trannie, pretty boy or college kid) and letting said self go. Highly danceable sounds range from new wave to dark electro to drum 'n bass. The small dance floor can get overpacked, but no one'll push you out, and you can always escape to the smoking patio. In darker corners of the club things can get even steamier. Saturdays, the hottest boys in town head to its infamously messy dance party, Drunk & Horny.
reviewed
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Ha-Ra
If you're alone with your journal, or need a place for a tête-à-tête that may end in tears, bring a fiver for the jukebox, select Miles Davis and cozy up in this often-empty vintage-1947 classic dive. Take note of the flashback-to-the-1950s, black-and-white photo of the couple dancing, then look at the wall sconces and you'll realize you're standing in the exact same spot – only now it's filled with ghosts, not bee-boppers.
reviewed
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O
Harlot
Back when SoMa was the stomping ground of sailors, alleys were named for working girls, and Harlot pays them homage. Vampire bordello is the vibe here, with intense red lighting, velvet curtains revealing exposed-brick walls and table-sized photos of pinups wearing nothing but boa constrictors (watch where you put down that cocktail). Before 9pm it's a lounge, but after that the killer sound system pumps – especially with house on Thursdays, indie-rock on Wednesdays and monthly women-only Fem Bar parties. Weekends get suburban, but everyone cuts loose, so who cares? Dress funky to get past the doormen.
reviewed
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Asiasf
The name that everyone who's been to SF drops when you mention you've booked your airfare. You know, the all-Asian tranny lounge with respectable drinks served by waitresses who'll make you look thrice and you still aren't sure? Well, it's as they say, only there's a twist: the dinner menu. With such a distinctive draw, it's not like AsiaSF needed the Asia-dilla, a quesadilla with duck, peppers, and sundried-cherry crème fraîche. Look out, ladies: we've got a scene-stealer.
reviewed
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Q
Herbst Theater
The UN Charter was signed here in 1945, and the luminaries keep on coming with music and dance performances, and the city's stellar City Arts & Lectures series. Aimee Mann, Philip Glass and other guests have to really put on a show to not be upstaged by the splendid beaux arts murals. The theater hosts jazz and classical voice and instrumental soloists, duos and quartets in its Piano Series, Guitar Series and Virtuosi Series.
Family matinees are popular on Saturday afternoons.
reviewed
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R
EZ5
Need a day off? EZ5 obliges happy hour from 4pm to 8pm weekdays, offering sweet deals on Day Off sweet-sour lemon vodka cocktails. The '80s are in the house, with cherry-red vinyl seating and classic video games like Ms Pac Man – which comes in handy on a slow night. Karaoke and Jell-o shots take the edge off Monday nights, and Fi-Di ties loosen once DJs start spinning house and hip-hop around 9pm to 10pm.
reviewed
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S
Temple
The city's greenest club is an izakaya (bar snack) and sustainably sourced sushi bar before 10pm, when it turns into a glowing LED-lit nightclub serving drinks in biodegradable cups. Buddha presides over the sleek, all-white upstairs room with slick stone floors; downstairs are two smaller rooms with midsized dance floors that harness the energy of stomping feet to generate electricity. DJs spin the gamut from dub to hip-hop to techno; Fridays are consistently good for house, and it's usually $5 before 11pm if you're on the guest list. Dress like you mean it.
reviewed
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Levende Lounge
The virtuoso barkeeps at Levende are reason enough to work this slightly out-of-the-way spot into your evening plans. Genuinely creative mixed bevs are strictly top shelf; some involve freshly squeezed juices and exotic spices. Club-hoppers can claim couches and nibble on appetizers or get up and shimmy to down-tempo lounge grooves, world beats or old-school house. Some nights, live electronic ensembles meld unheard-of sounds.
Call ahead, though: it's often closed for corporate/private events.
reviewed
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Savage Jazz
A bit like the Smuin Ballet, Savage Jazz performs ballet to nontraditional music. Like jazz itself, the dancing is often explosively athletic, energetic, almost, well, savage. All the traditional jazz greats are given their due using a combination of classical vocabulary, modern dance, jazz dance and improvisation, reflecting the rich and varied textures and moods that are the hallmarks of jazz music.
There are two regular home seasons in Oakland and San Francisco when the company is not touring.
reviewed
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U
Ruby Skye
The city's premier-name nightclub occupies a vintage theater reminiscent of classic NY clubs, with reserveable balcony boxes. The who's-who of the world's DJs play here – think Danny Tenaglia, Dimitri from Paris, Christopher Lawrence and Paul Van Dyk. The very mainstream crowd sometimes gets messy (hence gruff security), but when your fave DJ's playing, who cares? The Funktion-One sound system is state of the art.
reviewed
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EndUp
Anyone left on the streets of San Francisco after 2am on weekends is subject to the magnetic force of the EndUp's marathon dance sessions. It's the only club with a 24-hour license and though straight people do come here, it remains best known for its gay Sunday tea dances, in full force since 1973. Regulars arrive in time for popular reggae and 'Ghettodisco' sets on Saturdays (check the web) and bring a change of clothes for work Monday. Forget the Golden Gate Bridge: once you EndUp watching the sunrise over the freeway ramp here, you've officially arrived in SF.
reviewed
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W
Twin Peaks Tavern
Don't call it the glass coffin. Show some respect: Twin Peaks was the first gay bar in the world with windows opening to the street. The jovial crowd skews (way) over 40, but they're not chicken hawks (or they wouldn't hang here), and they love it when happy kids show up and join the party. Ideal for a tête-à-tête after a film at the Castro, or for cards, Yahtzee or backgammon (BYO).
reviewed