San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
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Since the pandemic began, outdoor venues and festivals benefited from having the ability to host shows with less concern over the public health issues that kept San Francisco’s smaller, indoor and sometimes historic stages closed. But with cooler months just ahead, the region’s club venues have been working overtime to offer the best entertainment they can find for patrons hoping for a more intimate setting.
Musical talent is eager to get back to work, and upcoming lineups reflect these smaller venues desire to support local talent while providing optimal fun for Bay Area music lovers. Check out The Chronicle’s guide to local clubs currently offering live music, along with upcoming performance highlights.
Amado’s:
Amado’s currently offers free shows in the bar, and paid programming downstairs in a cool speakeasy/listening room.
Upcoming performances include Joe Goldmark and the Seducers on Thursday, Sept. 22; Balanced Breakfast Mini Festival Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 22-24; Om Nom Nom will host a post fair burlesque/variety show in honor of the Folsom Street Fair’s return on Sept. 25 and Kat Robichaud’s Misfit Cabaret on Sept. 30.
For The Chronicle’s complete version of this guide, plus a look at the concert calendar at small venues outside San Francisco, go to datebook.sf chronicle.com.
Bird & Beckett: The folks at this Glen Park neighborhood bookstore/music venue got started early, offering free twice-weekly live-streamed jazz and poetry/literature performances beginning in March 2020. They still broadcast the shows that are scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Upcoming performances include Phillip Greenlief with Adriana Camacho Torres and Scott Amendola on Oct. 1; Tammy Lynne Hall Quartet on Oct. 8.
The Black Cat:
Located in the heart of the historic Tenderloin arts and entertainment district, once home to supper clubs and jazz venues like the famed
Blackhawk, the world-class artists on the upcoming performance schedule pay homage to the great music there in days of yore.
Upcoming performances include Nicholas Payton and New World Order on Wednesday, Sept. 21; Isaiah Sharkey, Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 2224; Kenneth Whalum, Sept. 28-Oct. 1.
Boom Boom Room:
Originally home to Jack’s, a blues organ bar that was one of the last holdouts of the famous jazz/nightlife strip on Fillmore Street after World War II, this venue was renovated and renamed by John Lee Hooker in 1997. It is struggling financially from the pandemic, and a GoFundMe has been created to help.
Brick and Mortar:
The small music venue, located on the northern side of the Mission District, is one of only a handful of independent music spaces still operating in the city. It showcases an eclectic calendar with many genres represented. Upcoming performances include Dizzy Wright on Sept. 25; Charlotte Sands on Sept. 27; Abhi the Nomad on Oct. 9.
Cafe du Nord:
At the basement level of the Swedish American Hall, this is an iconic historical speakeasy with direct access from the Swedish American Hall through a secret interior stairwell. The high caliber of acts and the venue’s unique history/architecture make it a must to visit. Upcoming performances include Private Island on Tues