Venue Type: Live Music Bar

Kilowatt Bar in the Mission is a neighborhood spot with a dance floor and a focus on electronic music and DJs who understand rhythm. The lighting is moody and minimal, letting the music carry the room, and the crowd comes from the surrounding blocks rather than from across the city. It’s the kind of place … Read more

80-seat jazz club on Broadway since 2022, run by pianist Simon Rowe. Live sets nightly with a California-Italian kitchen.

Inner Richmond Irish pub on Geary Boulevard. Sunday afternoon trad sessions, weekend Irish breakfast, and matches on the TVs.

500-capacity indie music venue on Divisadero in NoPa. Touring acts that are about to break or already have.

Hotel Utah Saloon occupies a historic building on 4th Street with wood beams and windows looking out onto the street activity. The room books folk acts, indie bands, and touring musicians on a tiny stage that somehow creates an intimate feel even when crowded. The bartenders have been mixing drinks in this space long enough … Read more

Concert venue on O’Farrell Street since 1972 in a 1907 building. About 600 standing or 470 seated. Frescoed ceilings, balconies on three sides.

Elbo Room in Oakland’s Jack London Square sits above a Mexican restaurant, and the smell of carne asada drifts up while live bands play funk, soul, and rock on a small stage. The room has the feel of an old dive bar that stumbled into presenting great music, and the crowd is genuinely there for … Read more

SoMa nightclub on 11th Street since 1985. Two stages, three dance floors, and 600 capacity. Live music to electronic to burlesque to all-ages.

Basement music venue under Swedish American Hall, around 250 capacity. Indie, electronic, and singer-songwriter shows, often Noise Pop bookings.

Black Cat sits on the edge of the Tenderloin and draws a real mix of people: drag performers, indie bands, electronic artists, and the kind of crowd that shows up for the weirdness. The red walls and small bar feel more like a living room than a typical venue, and the programming changes night to … Read more