Blues & beer at the Boom Boom Room
Sometimes you just have to leave the travel guides back at the hotel to experience the true beat of San Francisco, writes Phillip Rollo.
I’m just a couple of beers deep as our Uber drops us off outside the Boom Boom Room on Fillmore Street. There’s a band playing tonight, the name: More Fatter.
Lead singer Tommy Economou tells me he was just trying to say something was ‘‘fatter’’ when discussions around the band’s name kicked off, but the words ‘‘more fatter’’ stumbled out instead.
‘‘We just went with it,’’ Economou, dressed in a pink blazer, says. The name was born. I walk over to the bar, order a locally brewed draft beer called Kalifornia Kolsch, hoping it will be close to the full hop flavours of the beers back home in New Zealand. It is. It’s good.
More Fatter enters the stage. It takes a few songs for the band to get in the groove, and just as long for the crowd to respond.
But the room is soon humming. We are asked how many of us knew the band before turning up tonight. Half the audience raise their hands.
For More Fatter this is one of the biggest nights of their young music career; opening for renowned bassist Victor Little, and at one of Fillmore’s most recognised bars. For me, it’s my first night out in San Fran and my first taste of the city’s nightlife.
‘‘This is definitely the best venue we’ve ever played at,’’ Economou tells me after their upbeat set.
The band members – aged 18 to 23 – feel privileged to play at a venue such as the Boom Boom Room, where Bay Area-raised Carlos Santana has been a regular performer.
I’m just glad to experience something that accurately represents the city, or as Economou words it; something that ‘‘screams San Francisco.’’ The Boom Boom Room wasn’t in the numerous guides given to me by the tourism operators but, as another member of the band points out, the beat of the city lies in its underground music scene.
‘‘It screams San Francisco.’’ That phrase pops up again.
‘‘There are a lot of young people who are in bands and play at local venues, and there’s actually quite a lot of talent here.
‘‘The bands aren’t well known but it’s inspiring to hear them play, and it’s definitely attributed to us forming the band because we want to be a part of the music scene here.’’
Economou says the HaightAshbury district will always be regarded as the No 1 for music, and SFJAZZ in the Hayes Valley is one of the most popular venues to attend. While Fillmore is a few steps back in the conversion, it still plays its part in the overall picture.
‘‘We’re SF kids and we love living here.
‘‘There’s a great music scene and you’ll find some really good talent at these low-key venues. It’s not like you’re going to see Justin Timberlake or Taylor Swift, you’re going to see More Fatter.
‘‘There aren’t not 100,000 people and you’re standing at the back, you can get up close and personal.’’
That’s all she wrote
The walk down Fillmore St is quieter than usual. There’s no one on the street. The only cars are parked. I’m looking for a sports bar, urgently too because the game has already started. I glance into the Boom Boom Room because I can hear some noise.
‘‘Please be showing it,’’ I say to myself.
The bouncer outside asks if I’m here for the film festival or the game. Who organises a film festival on the night of the NBA final?
‘‘The game,’’ I say, and show him my New Zealand driver’s licence and enter.
I was at this same venue just two nights before but, picture frames of blues musicians aside, you could barely tell it was the same place. There are no seats left as Warriors fans are there in force, so I go stand at the back of the room. It’s still a good position near the biggest screen in the venue.
The Warriors are finding some form early. Will they go back-toback? One fan thinks so.
‘‘Back in the Bay. Back in the Bay,’’ he chants.
A woman enters wearing a red jumper, and is immediately questioned. ‘‘What’s the red for?’’ the most passionate Golden State Warriors fan in the bar asks her. It turns out she supports Golden State but is grateful LeBron James returned to Cleveland because ‘‘he’s brought the revenue back’’.
It also turns out she’s here for the film festival, hence the obliviousness to her poor colour choice on this particular day.
The mood is quiet as the Cavaliers go on an 11-0 run in the third quarter. The LeBron trash talk begins.
‘‘Tupac would still be alive if LeBron shot him,’’ one man quips as the game’s most influential player is wayward with a jump shot.
It’s easy to spot who is enemy No 1 in Warriors territory.
With tickets going for NZ$1400 in the days leading up to the game, it’s no surprise many locals decided to save their coin and head to whatever bar they could to get a glimpse of what they hope is more history for the Bay Area. Even if said bar traditionally houses concerts not televised basketball.
It’s announced that the film festival will be delayed a few moments, until the end of the game anyway.
The cheers continue, until Cavs’ guard Kyrie Irving, playing out of his skin, drops a three in the face of star man Steph Curry with 55 seconds to go, and silences the room. It’s now 92-89. ‘‘That’s all she wrote,’’ another man, wearing a yellow retro Warriors jacket, says to himself, already conceding defeat. Golden State regain possession. A chant of ‘‘Let’s go Warriors’’ echoes out from the 50 people in the bar, trying to urge their team on from this side of the Bay Bridge, like how we used to blow wind at the TV when Team New Zealand was sailing in the America’s Cup.
Under pressure, Curry misses an ugly three to tie up the game. LeBron goes for a game-winning dunk but is fouled heavily by Draymond Green, and hits the floor with 10.6 seconds remaining. He seems hurt, but the fans are suggesting he’s faking it and boo once he gets back to his feet appearing unscathed. LeBron misses the first free throw. Hope for the Warriors.
He nails the next. Game over. Cleveland wins 93-89.
It wasn’t quite the Oracle Arena in Oakland. But, without losing $1400, watching the game in San Francisco with some diehard Warriors fans was the next best thing. The film festival begins.