Read the RA feature /
Clubbing in San Francisco

god i miss this city and its people. whoever that dude was who wrote about leaving his heart there couldnt have been more spot on

bada** city.
great to see a well written, informative piece on the quality scene there.
and that feature picture is incredible.

Maetrik at The End Up last August was Fun. For sure the techno scene is rising in SF. San Francisco has always been known for OM Records, but am glad that's changing. Cant wait to go back.

Good write up! Glad to see the Kontrol crew getting some press, great guys!!

Yeah! heading to San Francisco this summer for a few weeks, it sounds amazing. i've been trying to suss it out a bit over the past while. awesome feature!

great article jackson! i love this city!
i am sad to point out that as of this week the 222 club has shut down. the last 2 years there have been amazing, some of the best shows ive seen have gone down there. oh well. plenty of other stuff going on!

Nice Jackson! SF getting the props it deserves!

Thanks to Mr. Burridge for realizing how badass this city really is!

The End Up such a great fucking spot - I don't go to SF often enough

So how does LA compare to SF???
(there was a great article on beatportal recently about the LA scene)

last time i was in sf, i spent almost 200$ on used records at amoeba, and most of them were 2$ - 4$...so you can imagine how much good shit was there. not to mention they had a really good selection of new stuff. not as good as tweekin', but tweekin' also had about 30 total records. slim pickings, for sure.

can't believe you're saying tweekin' is the only spot left.

Great article. I'm from Melbourne and would love to check out the scene in SF some time. Quality underground vibes from the sounds of it.

SF is a way more colorful, edgier, unique and vibrant than LA in my opinion -Lots of roots in dance music here, legends, oldskool clubs, and undergrounds!

It is known for its liberalism and artistic expression so naturally lots of good stuff spawns out of that. Burning Man started here and no other US city could host or get away with something as ridiculous as the Love Parade/Fest ..Firedancing and DJ's in Cityhall..only happens in SF!


SF is a way smaller geographic area as the article indicates than LA so its way more cohesive unit here and way easier to jump from party to party. Everyone knows each other and is somewhat respectful.

LA is just a different clubbing experience all together-not bad just different!

gotta get me to san francisco

speaking about san francisco not mentioning David Harness is like fu**ng without coming

Glad to see this piece. As an SF resident, its exciting to hear this city be compared to Berlin.

The writer has failed to mention the abundance of wonderful underground gigs that often take place here. mathew jonson, move d, half hawaii, ame, and maurice fulton have rolled through during the past few months, and these loft/warehouse parties are consistently more fun and more weird than anything happening at the big box clubs like the mezzanine. you just have to keep your eyes open for the elusive flyers with a phone number or website with the address info.

the club to keep one's eye on right now is Paradise Lounge. Legowelt performed a nasty acid house live set there a couple weeks ago, Lindstrom is performing this weekend, and next week Tim Sweeney is headlining a roster of DJs, including Mike Simonetti of Italians do it better.

With regards to Tweekin; is a wonderful place. Its rare these days to be able to listen to records in the store before. But their selection has dwindled to the point of no return. Amoeba is always pulling in the new 12"s, so much dubstep, house, disco, whatever u want, used, etc. I would advise any SF visitors to drop into Tweekin to shoot the breeze with the staff and get a tip on a good show to check out. As well, lower Haight St, where Tweekin is located, is an essential stop for any newcomer to SF. But for buying records, Amoeba wins every time.

Great work Jackson,
Big ups to everyone who has been working there ass off and making the scene grow so fast the last couple of years. Its amazing to see the kind of respect that SF has been getting lately.

I,m gonna gets me a one way ticket to SF as I need to breath again.
Any advise on moving from London to San F ?

If your definition of "techno" is the for the most part mnml sound that dominates sf clubland, then sure, sf is a great place to hear techno. If, however, your definition of techno is more broad to include non-mnml artists, then sf lacks in a big way. With the exception of a few small but notable crews that book non-mnml djs, the word techno in the review should be replaced with "mnml". Then again, who would consider Lee Burridge an authority on techno?

"the diversity of the scene and the loyalty of the crowds creates an environment that can cater to a spectrum of parties: San Francisco currently hosts the yearly LoveFest parade, an off-shoot of Berlin's LoveParade, which is now the largest electronic music event in the US."

what a bunch of bs. sf's trance/mnml fest is hardly the largest edm event in the US. i bet the author also thinks that techno originated in europe. what a joke.

wheres the mention of the real underground parties like gentlemen's techno or the gray are gallery (which sadly i heard had to close)? thats where the real good and interesting and comparable to berlin part of san francisco's electronic music scene is, not that whats mentioned isnt also good.

god i love living here!!

This is sure to raise some controversy, but...

I think San Francisco is an awesome city, but as far as clubbing is concerned, it is shit.

If I were to compare artwork to club scenes, San Francisco is like a crap drawing by a 3 year old. Maybe in 10 years, it will be better. But right now? Crap.

Sorry guys.

san francisco the new berlin? are you for real pal?

dont get me wrong im sure its amazing but how can you compare the two?

Why bother to compare? Each city is unique.

I'm glad you're writing about a scene tho. I'm on my way over from London and am going to miss the music.

i didn't really get a chance to go out when i was last there in march.

i did get a few good records at amoeba (so i concur with eric, of course).

my big question is can a city that is so expensive to live really be the next berlin? maybe it's good for a club goer, but what about for local musicians/artists?

is sf doing the best job of developing local musicians and performers who aren't as known?

in berlin, from what i gather, it is not as difficult for a lesser known musician to make enough money to live on their music work given more than just attitudes about lifestyle. berlin's low cost of living, the opportunity for performances around the continent of europe, and cheap, quick travel to multiple new markets, makes it far easier than those based in the u.s, i have suspected.

many of those same (talented) artists don't usually get booked in the u.s., because it costs a lot to travel here from berlin, and we have limited markets/cities, it seems, for edm outside of the big names to get booked (because we won't know who they are).

the same issue causes challenges for u.s. edm artists and party promoters interested in developing a local scene that isn't just about non-american based djs, live pa acts, etc., (not that i am not glad and supportive of their ability to get work for doing their art) for similar reasons.

i hope to head out to sf again soon and get a better sense for the scene.

thanks to all much for the article and comments thus far, btw.

respect.

Nice insight. The U.S has never really appealled to me as a place to visit other then San Francisco & the Yosemite Valley. The landscape of both just amazes me. Definitely on the places to visit list.
As for the clubbing, the article has only increased my appetite to pay the city a visit for reasons other then photography...

quote:

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Posted by sabotage
speaking about san francisco not mentioning David Harness is like fu**ng without coming

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its nice here

good stuff. cant wait to come back up.

As someone who lived in San Francisco for 7 years and now Berlin for 3 I have to say San Francisco hardly compares to Berlin. Berlin is not only great for the various clubbing it offers but also the way it's a leading innovator in music trends. San Francisco is just trying to catch up with the minimal sound but Berlin has already moved on from that.

I don't think he was saying SF is the new Berlin. He was saying SF is the "Berlin of the US". New York certainly isn't there doing unique cool things, but it certainly is trying. I love SF and the creative, collective experience the culture provides. Big fan! As for the queers - Honey Soundsystem deserves a mention. Quality guys, super sweet, and pushing the ball as to what defines the queer sound - especially in the US. Keep it up SF.Bow

How can SF be the US Berlin when the drinking curfew is at 2 am and the bouncers go around snatching drinks from your hand at 1.45 am ? Sure there's the Endup but that's isn't to everyone's taste now is it?

That aside (and drinking is only a minor thing), I just don't see that artists will be flocking to San Francisco any time soon to live, work and party there.

Too many venues, events and promoters left off this list for it to be all-inclusive of what the city has to offer. The vibe of what is going on here can't be compared to any other city. The EndUp, while being s SF institution is certainly one of the worst clubs the city has to offer...and still the EndUp blows away half of the clubs in the country.

Don't hate, just come here and find out for yourself.

Nice piece Jackson.

Nice write up!

I agree come and check out the city for yourself, you'd be suprised in what music you find. Moving from Detroit to here was a shock at first, but I've found a huge variety of great artists and venues. Its not home but, there is only one D.

the article depends where you have been and what you are use to. i will let all of you know that there are no decent sound systems in sf (compared to anywhere in the UK or Europe) and people typically do not dance- i was actually threatened on a dance floor in sf... a few times and was told to stop dancing!!! haha- and the club closes at 2. this is after living in sf for three years.. and having lived and traveled in a lot of other cities.

i agree with the dude from tokyo that in 10 years sf will be tight.

good to hear this guy had a nice couple of days there.. i did too.

SF is cool. Lived here for a year. The 2 am thing sucks balls, but I've been to some dope afterparty's in warehouses in soma or the mission that had bars.

Compared to Berlin, es geht einfach nicht! Berlin wins. BUT, Sf is still got it going on.

In the U.S. of Freedumb SF is easily one of the best cities, and the Bay Area as a whole is ridiculous (except for the living part, which is way too expensive).

Also, Oakland is next door, and it has some of the best parties I've been to evar. (electronic or otherwise, and I've partied in Tokyo, Osaka, Berlin, Barcelona, NYC, LA, Philly, DC etc...)

"Groove" the movie

quote:

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Posted by eddiey1
san francisco the new berlin? are you for real pal?

dont get me wrong im sure its amazing but how can you compare the two?

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haha agree

i prefer nyc when speaking of stateside destinations...and miami is fun during that certain week...tits + tunes

and Bernard's got the right idea (for me) about being an artist and making a living in SF vs. Berlin. maybe in a world in which scene development is what one looks for most in the city and not the actual talent emerging...

SF is great and all, but having lived in both you cannot compare it to Berlin. Curfews, expense and prescient security make for a much different experience. Give me a 2 euro beer and a smoke at Club De Visionaire any day of the year..

I find that for all that is great about Northern California, it is way too sterile. You meet plenty of people who are so 'liberal' that actually they are way uptight, in contrast to Berlin where the 'live and let live' attitude trumps all.

As for being the 'Berlin of the States', I'm afraid that is not saying much at all..

Have to agree with some of the comments here about SF barely coming within pissing distance of Berlin (or London, or Barcelona, or a good few other places) with regards to going out. The 2am finish up is just awful, and they dont even give you a chance to finish that drink you might have bought at 1.58am, its just get the fuck out, now. Trying to live cheaply in SF is impossible, unless you want to cross over into Oakland (not exactly cheap any more either) and then getting home is pretty miserable.

SF might be good for a clubbing scene, but musically it hasnt really created anything. Detroit gave techno, Chicago gave house, New York gave garage, Baltimore gave... Baltimore, Miami gave Miami Bass; what distinct sound has SF given, either on a national or international level? Its over-rated, its been trading on its 'liberal' past for a long time now and after the dot.com boom in the late 90's it became a real yuppieville.

Its one shining gem is Amoeba... probably one of the best record shops on the planet.

so the above about sums it up.

It's time for San Franciscans to run the gauntlet. Can you make your city more than just another place to see foreign DJs? Lets see whether local artists can make a global statement.

Or do the yuppies now rule?

Great article Jackson!
I love living here.

Oh, yeah. They don't call it "the city" for nothing. The view from the Sausalito ferry has to be seen to be believed. I lived for a while in a 3rd floor flat at 133 Lily St, on the edge of the Filmore district. The music scene in those days centered around the Avalon Ballroom (shows how old I am). I've moved away long ago, but I understand Amon Tobin occasionally puts on a dynamite show at the Paradise Lounge. - CW

I've lived in the city for just over two years, and I do love this city (Ritual YES!!, great food YES!!), though, not for the electronic music scene. And it's definitely *not* and never will be the new Berlin!

Hip hop and indie music, yes, it's hot sh*t in SF and you can go out almost any night of the week to hear great music, but to be honest, the majority of SF's electronic music scene in made up of MNML and Trance music. If you are into that, then yes, SF will be your Mecca.

In saying that, there are a few small crews and dj's who are doing some good stuff in the more Detroit style o techno, I just wish there were more parties by these guys.

this city is something else.... what a great vibe!!!

gotta love san fran

Heading over there for Christmas and New Years and haven't been there in about 8 years. Just scanning the net for anything good on around then and only coming up with cheesey bullshit stuff like Ruby Skye and the like. What is the best site for club listings? Also if there is any heads up on loft/warehouse style parties that would be much appreciated.

agreed Amoeba IS the spot! Would always have to make a day of it when I was living in NY and would come home to visit, I can't walk out of that place without spending 200$! There is no place like Amoeba in NY, sadly.

Doesn't seem that long ago that if you wanted to hear proper techno in SF, you were SOL.