Random trip to San Francisco need gig guides etc

unition · Post by **unition** » Wed May 28, 2008 6:52 am

Kia Ora, from New Zealand.

I'm arriving in San Francisco on the 16th of June till the 6th of July for a family re-union, splitting my time between San Fran, Santa Cruz and Lake Tahoe. Any pointers to good online gig guides etc so I can enhance my trip musically would be appreciated. This isn't my first trip to San Fran so I've done all the tourist stuff, mainly interested in checking out the music scene. I'm interested in a wide range of music but my main points of interest would be:

Hip Hop (predominately Conscious)
Indie Rock
Dance/Electro
and all the blurred lines in-between.

After years of listening to my father boast about seeing Zeppelin, Hendrix and The Doors in his youth at the Filmore etc, I feel it is my duty to see some decent music while I'm there.

Please point me in some directions. Also a graphic designer/artist by trade so any music/visual combos would be sweet.

Cheers

KU · Post by KU » Wed May 28, 2008 7:29 am

I like going to the venues websites.

SF

mezzaninesf.com
bimbos365club.com
gamh.com
independentsf.com
bottomofthehill.com/

Santa Cruz

Moes Alley
Catalyst

sounds like you'll be in town for the Raindance campout in SC. you could go check out Phat Conductor! This party will melt your face.

other sites

gruvr.com
jambase.com

gaijin1717 · Post by **gaijin1717** » Wed May 28, 2008 7:54 pm

I personally try to avoid the Mezzanine. They always have great bands, but I just don't like the venue.

My pseronal favorite, which might be a bit harder to find in a blind internet search would be the Rickshaw Stop. I also like the Independent.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Wed May 28, 2008 8:03 pm

www.sfbayguardian.com
http://www.sfweekly.com/
http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/
http://www.sfstation.com/

those first two are large format magazine/newspapers that are free throughout town.

tons of stuff to do. I doubt you've done all the tourist stuff, I've been here for 15 years and still find new things.

CITYSTATE · Post by **CITYSTATE** » Wed May 28, 2008 8:08 pm

June 26 @ Mezzanine is Dilated Peoples, Aceyalone, and others.

oblique strategies · Post by **oblique strategies** » Wed May 28, 2008 8:09 pm

gaijin1717 wrote:I personally try to avoid the Mezzanine. They always have great bands, but I just don't like the venue.

Mezzanine is a rather "cold" environment, & I don't mean chill.

They can oversell the joint too, so it's packed. Good music sometimes though. Saw The Knife do their Audio Visual Experience there in 5.1 surround sound -phenomenal. Also saw Autechre there -not so phenomenal...

Bottom Of The Hill is excellent for Indie rock shows. Nice intimate setting, fun layout, outdoor patio.

Audium is must have experience:
"Audium is the only theatre of its kind in the world, pioneering the exploration of space in music. The theatre's 169 speakers bathe listeners in sounds that move past, over, and under them. "Sound sculptures" are performed in darkness in the 49-seat theatre." Very cool.
http://www.audium.org/

Check to see if the city is hosting any free concerts in the various parks like Golden Gate & Stern Groove. You can catch things like touring World music artists, classical, & Opera for free.

Also worthwhile: The Exploratorium for some fun, interactive science related goodness -they have a number of wonderful auditory experiences on hand.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Wed May 28, 2008 8:10 pm

June 27th is going to be a crappy day at work.

beats me · Post by **beats me** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:36 am

I love Mezzanine, great sound and a lot of great artists play there. I've gotten to the age when I can ignore the people because I don't have much in common with most people in any crowd. I've met quite a few Live users there just by sporting the Ableton shirt. If you wear it they will come.

111 Mina usually always has good DJs and is also an art gallery so you might want to check that out. They are usually an early 7-10 venue, but that might have changed since I haven't been there in awhile.

Places to avoid at all costs:

Ruby Sky
Slide

Even I can't ignore the annoying people there.

Also use this formula:

The better the electronic music/DJ/artist = the more dudes in the venue (if you care about that sorta thing.

oblique strategies · Post by **oblique strategies** » Thu May 29, 2008 4:41 am

beats me wrote:111 Mina usually always has good DJs and is also an art gallery so you might want to check that out. They are usually an early 7-10 venue, but that might have changed since I haven't been there in awhile.

Places to avoid at all costs:

Ruby Sky
Slide

Even I can't ignore the annoying people there.

Pretty good assessment!

Haven't checked out Slide, but Ruby Sky is genuinely hard to take!

I've enjoyed both going to, & performing at 111 Minna Gallery. I'll say the same thing for Club Six -but I haven't been there in a couple of years; plus it is in a bad (or at the very least, depressing) part of town.

BTW don't leave anything in your car if you're driving, & you go to any SOMA locations! Nothing! It's an invitation to thieves.

1015 Folsom -big club, multiple rooms- has a GREAT sound system, one of the best in town. But you're going to have to find a night with decent music -I don't even know if that's possible since I've only performed there, & never attended a regular night... But it sounded beautiful! The main sound guru told me that a lot of the regular music was just "uninspired thump-thump-thump." So take that as you will!

You can find some occasional fun at these joints:
Cat Club
DNA Lounge
Great American Music Hall -live venue
Death Guild -Goth, Industrial, & electronic
The Independent -for live shows, been hosting concerts for 30 years

unition · Post by **unition** » Thu May 29, 2008 8:27 am

Excellent, plenty of stuff to chew through there. Thanks for the knowledge. Hopefully my cousins are up for some action. Then again, if they say "hey I know this great bar Ruby Sky" I'll know to call it a night.

oblique strategies · Post by **oblique strategies** » Thu May 29, 2008 10:13 am

unition wrote:Excellent, plenty of stuff to chew through there. Thanks for the knowledge. Hopefully my cousins are up for some action. Then again, if they say "hey I know this great bar Ruby Sky" I'll know to call it a night.

It's a shame, because the venue is actually beautiful! But the people, music, & general vibe pretty much negate the positive aspects.

Have fun in SF!

Check out the Marin Headlands if you want some nice rustic California coastline experiences. Also drive down highway 1 for some really great cost line action. Stop off in the tiny town of Pescadero, & go to Duarte's Tavern for the best cream of green chili soup you'll ever find! Delicious. People come from all over the country to have a bowl.

beats me · Post by **beats me** » Thu May 29, 2008 12:47 pm

Pink in The Mission is usually a cool little underground spot with great DJs, but to be avoided on weekends like most of the main SF clubs. They charge double for half the talent of the week nights.

The crowd at Ruby Sky could be compared to a cross between your high school reunion and a wedding reception. It's a place you would most likely hear "Woohoo, I'm wasted!" a half dozen times a night. These are the people that fund the big name artists that play there that most of them haven't even heard of. They'd be there anyway because it's "Ruby fuckin Sky, man! Woo!" It's the only place I've been to where security has taken an almost full drink out of my hand 10 minutes after last call. No warning, no "you need to finish that", just grabbed it and tossed it.

Sure it's a nice historic building but if you are into architecture there's a lot more of that all over SF without the BS crowd.

LiveXXX · Post by **LiveXXX** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:18 pm

Gear store. They have Ableton User Group Meetings. You can buy some premade circuit bend stuff there too:
http://www.robotspeak.com/

Computer History Museum:
http://www.computerhistory.org/

I live in Berlin but will be in SF next month.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Thu May 29, 2008 5:31 pm

LiveXXX wrote:Gear store. They have Ableton User Group Meetings. You can buy some premade circuit bend stuff there too:
http://www.robotspeak.com/

uhhh no user groups, just paid classes taught by a guy who doesn't really dig Live (Matt Granachau), don't mean to be a hater, he's a nice guy, a little crazy but nice enough. I took a max class from him when Live 7 was in beta, he really didn't give a shit about Live, now he's teaching the class?!?

Pescadero?!?!? jesus oblique, for not living here, you've been around!!!

LiveXXX · Post by **LiveXXX** » Thu May 29, 2008 5:38 pm

Oh... sorry... I thought I saw something about the User Group being there. No need to pay someone to teach you... its all in the manual.