In-depth venue guides
The Fillmore
Bill Graham's legendary 1,300-capacity ballroom — open standing floor, chandeliers, gold-arched balconies, and the famous free poster on your way out.
All ages (5+), some shows 16+/18+Great American Music Hall
An ornate 1907 rococo hall with marble columns, frescoed ceilings, and a wraparound balcony — one of SF's most beautiful rooms, with a 'Dinner + Show' option on select nights.
All ages (6+), some shows 18+/21+The Independent
Another Planet's beloved ~500-cap club on Divisadero, known for excellent sound and sightlines and a history of breaking artists before they got big.
Varies by show: All ages / 18+ / 21+Bottom of the Hill
The intimate ~350-cap heart of SF's independent scene since 1991, with a friendly bar and an outdoor patio — an early-career launchpad for Green Day, The White Stripes, and more.
Varies: mostly 21+, with regular all-ages showsThe Warfield
A historic 1922 theatre (now Goldenvoice/AEG) with a GA floor and reserved loge/balcony seating upstairs — Powell St BART is a couple of blocks away.
Most shows all ages (6+); some 18+/21+The Chapel
A ~500-cap room set in a 1914 former mortuary chapel, with a dramatic 40-foot arched ceiling, an upstairs mezzanine, and the adjoining Curio bar & restaurant.
Generally all ages (6+); some shows higherBimbo's 365 Club
A glamorous 1931 Art Deco supper club in North Beach — plush red velvet, hidden indirect lighting, and a classic cabaret-and-cocktails atmosphere.
Varies: 21+ / 18+ / All ages (often 21+)The Regency Ballroom
A grand 1909 neoclassical ballroom (Goldenvoice/AEG) with 35-foot ceilings, teardrop chandeliers, and a horseshoe balcony with reserved seating at many shows.
Most shows all ages; some 18+/21+Cafe du Nord
A historic former speakeasy in the basement of the 1907 Swedish American Hall — an intimate, atmospheric ~300-cap room that hosts 170+ shows a year.
Varies by show: All ages (6+) or 21+The Masonic
The ~3,300-capacity Nob Hill Masonic Center (Live Nation), a flexible room with a GA floor and tiered reserved seating, plus its own on-site parking garage.
Generally all ages; varies by eventFox Theater
A lavishly restored 1928 Moorish movie palace (Another Planet) one block from 19th St BART, with a tiered GA floor and reserved balcony — also home to the Oakland School for the Arts.
Most shows all ages; some restrictedThe UC Theatre
A restored 1917 theatre reborn in 2016 as a non-profit, all-ages music hall (the Taube Family Music Hall) — one of the East Bay's largest all-ages rooms, half a block from Downtown Berkeley BART.
All ages (babes in arms excepted)Freight & Salvage
A beloved non-profit folk and roots coffeehouse founded in 1968, now a 490-seat hall in the Downtown Berkeley arts district — fully seated, family-friendly, half a block from BART.
All ages / family-friendlyYoshi's
A legendary West Coast jazz club and Japanese restaurant on the Oakland waterfront — reserved cabaret seating, full sushi menu, and a dine-before-the-show route to the best seats.
All ages unless notedRickshaw Stop
An eclectic ~400-cap indie club in a former 1960s TV soundstage — giant red curtains, vintage rickshaws, an upstairs balcony, and home of the long-running Popscene club night.
Varies: all ages / 18+ / 21+The Knockout
A beloved ~130-cap deep-Mission dive bar and DIY/punk institution since 2005 — cheap drinks, a famous photo booth, bingo, and wildly varied programming steps from the stage.
21+Boom Boom Room
A historic ~250-cap Fillmore juke joint for blues, funk, and soul — opened in 1997 and named after John Lee Hooker's hit, with live music and late-night jams most nights of the week.
21+Ivy Room
An intimate ~200-cap East Bay music bar on San Pablo Ave — one of Albany's oldest bars (since the early 1940s), now women-owned and praised as one of the best-sounding small rooms in the Bay.
21+ onlyThee Stork Club
A storied, kitschy Oakland dive bar and punk/indie music venue with a century-long history — closed during the pandemic and reopened in 2022 as 'Thee Stork Club' under the Mosswood Meltdown / Eli's Mile High Club team.
21+ onlyCornerstone Berkeley
A modern ~13,000 sq ft Downtown Berkeley craft-beer hall, restaurant, and music venue with a big patio and games — pro JBL sound and a wide booking range, three blocks from BART.
All ages (bar 21+ after 10pm)Sweetwater Music Hall
An iconic ~300-cap Marin nonprofit venue descended from the original 1972 Sweetwater (Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Van Morrison) — full bar, a farm-to-table cafe, and a patio in downtown Mill Valley.
Varies: all ages or 21+Ashkenaz
A nonprofit world-music and dance community center founded in 1973 and a Berkeley Landmark — a big wooden dance floor, an all-ages mission, and most shows paired with a dance lesson.
All agesBrick & Mortar Music Hall
A ~250-cap independent club at Mission & 13th, open since 2011 in the former Coda jazz space — an eclectic 300+-shows-a-year calendar and a go-to for catching new acts.
Varies: all ages or 21+The Midway
A sprawling 40,000 sq ft Dogpatch creative complex — nightclub, concerts (EDM, hip-hop, top 40), galleries, and a café — hosting major touring DJs and artists, a block from Muni Metro.
Varies; many shows 21+Great Northern
An upscale art-deco SoMa nightclub from the Monarch/Pawn Shop team — 30-ft ceilings, a high-end Void Audio system, and programming that leans underground electronic plus live music.
Typically 21+El Rio
A beloved queer Mission neighborhood bar (1978) and SF Legacy Business famous for its big leafy back patio — drag, DJs, live bands, and the 30+-year Salsa Sundays dance party.
21+The Saloon
Widely regarded as SF's oldest bar (1861) and a premier live-blues dive in North Beach — a narrow, no-frills room with daily blues, rock, soul, and jazz acts.
21+All Bay Area venues with upcoming shows
Every other venue currently on the schedule. Detailed guides are rolling out.