Nightlife

FRISCO FEVER

Dance the night away in the City by the Bay.

BY JEREMY DILLAHUNT

Morcheeba performing at The Fillmore

SAN FRANCISCO’S nightlife is as eclectic as its inhabitants, reflecting the city’s diverse tastes. No matter what neighborhood you are in, you’re bound to come across a club hosting jazz, hip-hop, experimental, indie or dance music. True to San Fran’s varied roots, the city’s venues are a collection of hole-in-the-wall dives and holdovers from the swinging ’30s and psychedelic ’60s. Together, they tell the city’s story as well as more traditional historic sites.

The Fillmore
1805 Geary Blvd 415-346-6000
www.thefillmore.com

This legendary venue is still going strong, attracting the big-name talent that made it famous in the first place. These days you can catch Pat Benatar, The Black Crowes or Chromeo lighting up the stage. The House that Bill Graham built is still as rustic as ever, but the addition of a multimillion-dollar sound and lighting system guarantees you can enjoy the best concert San Francisco has to offer.

Bimbo’s 365 Club
1025 Columbus Ave 415-474-0365
www.bimbos365club.com

Legend has it that in 1931, Agostino Giuntoli opened what is now Bimbo’s after arriving in San Fran a few years earlier with no money to his name. The Art Deco design remains—though it now hosts acts like Polvo and Carmen Consoli instead of cabarets. Reserve a main-floor table for an intimate show, or sit at the terrace bar and mingle.

Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell St 415-861-2011
www.rickshawstop.com

This is a small club started by people who really love music, got tired of the other options out there and decided to do something about it. As such places should be, it’s an intimate space that manages to pack in talent normally seen at venues twice its size. The dance parties here are legendary, and so are the band nights, so be prepared to reenergize with the bar’s corn dogs with Pringles since you may well be up all night.

Fillmore: John C. Liau (Vaindeer); Rickshaw: RickProuty.com