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Audium 9 Audium-Theatre of Sound-Sculptured Space : 8:30 p.m. every Fri., Sat.
The Audium was started in 1965 by composer Stan Shaff and equipment designer Doug McEachern. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays, and you have to be there on time — they lock the door. The room fits 50 people or so. There are chairs arranged in a semicircle. There are something like 180... More >>
Nob Hill/ Russian Hill/ Fisherman's Wharf	New Age, Experimental, Ambient

Go Deep!: Let's Wrestle El Rio : 8:00 p.m. first Thu. of every month
Mud wrestling is so over. It's like Dynasty or that mechanical-bull thing that John Travolta made famous about 50 years ago in Oklahoma or Kansas or wherever that movie was. Here in sexy San Francisco -- in the enlightened 21st century -- we have lube wrestling, namely Go Deep: Let's Wrestle.... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Cabaret, Burlesque

Kings of the Mic Tour: L.L. Cool J, Ice Cube, Public Enemy, De La Soul Shoreline Amphitheatre : 7:00 p.m. May 25
Thanks to his steady work on the hit crime drama NCIS: Los Angeles, LL Cool J is better known as an actor than a rapper to a whole generation of hip-hop fans. Of course, it hasn't helped that most of his output since seminal 1990 effort Mama Said Knock You Out has fallen far short of his... More >>
Mountain View	Hip-Hop, All Ages

Kylesa, Blood Ceremony, White Hills, Lazer/Wulf Slim's : 8:00 p.m. May 25
Along with fellow Georgian metal mavericks Mastodon and Baroness, Savannah quintet Kylesa has taken a place at the vanguard of heavy music over the past decade. Anchored by the guitar/vocal tandem of Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants, Kylesa forges an ever-evolving brand of psychedelic sludge... More >>
South of Market	Rock, Metal, All Ages

Mikal Cronin, Audacity, Michael Stasis Rickshaw Stop : 9:00 p.m. May 25
The wind on this Thursday night in Austin sags with the din of a dozen hopeful rock bands and the stench of stale beer. In a dark alley behind of a row of clubs on Sixth Street, Mikal Cronin leans into an alcove and tries to light a cigarette. It's tough, both because of the wind and because... More >>
Hayes Valley/ Tenderloin	Rock, Garage, All Ages

"Lights Down Low: Seven-Year Anniversary" Mezzanine : 9:00 p.m. May 25
Lights Down Low has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the closet-sized basement of 222 Hyde. Now one of the most respected party crews in San Francisco, the party will celebrate its seventh birthday with an epic, house-oriented bash that combines old-school street-cred with plenty... More >>
South of Market	House, Electronica, EDM, DJ, Dance

Twin Shadow, Elliphant Great American Music Hall : 9:00 p.m. May 25
Sometimes, it's best to completely disregard musicians' thoughts on their own work. Case in point: Elliphant architect Ellinor Olovsdotter described her music as "pop punk with some electronic influence" in one interview. Based on that assessment, this one-woman project should resemble Motion... More >>
Hayes Valley/ Tenderloin	Indie Pop, Electronica, Dance, All Ages

Tera Melos, TTNG, EV Kain Bottom of the Hill : 9:30 p.m. May 25
For a while there, it didn't look like the Sacramento trio Tera Melos was ever going to get serious about anything besides keeping its songs both technically proficient and structurally and semantically indecipherable. But then it found a way to shape up and cohere without sacrificing the core... More >>
Potrero Hill	Rock, Prog, Indie Rock, All Ages

"As You Like It" Monarch : 9:00 p.m. May 26
It's easy for just about anyone with a laptop to create decent electronic dance music. But while these new tools are powerful, they often lack the creative unpredictability associated with the hardware of yesteryear. This discrepancy has caused many contemporary producers to look to the past... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Electronica, House, EDM, DJ, Dance

Mikal Cronin Amoeba Music : 6:00 p.m. May 28
The wind on this Thursday night in Austin sags with the din of a dozen hopeful rock bands and the stench of stale beer. In a dark alley behind of a row of clubs on Sixth Street, Mikal Cronin leans into an alcove and tries to light a cigarette. It's tough, both because of the wind and because... More >>
Haight/ Fillmore	Rock, Free, All Ages

More Events
"Oldies Night" The Knockout : 10:00 p.m. first Fri. of every month
Few things can match the sheer exuberance of a packed house at Oldies Night. The long-standing Mission staple is one of the best places in the city to lose yourself and sweat it out dancing to soul 45s. DJs Primo and Daniel serve up a broad selection of cuts (both common and rare) to a crowd of... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Soul, Oldies, DJ

Classical Revolution Revolution Cafe : 8:00 p.m. every Mon.
Armed with stringed instruments and intense training from the likes of Juilliard and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Classical Revolution is on a mission to change the way classical music is perceived and performed in this city. Conceived in late 2006, the collective's intent has been... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Free, Classical

"Lost & Found" Make-Out Room : 9:30 p.m. every Tue.
While most '60s soul parties are dedicated to uptempo bangers, Lost & Found takes a different tack. Thrown Tuesday nights at the Make-Out Room, it's an evening dedicated to the slower side of soul with a playlist that sounds tailor-made for some hip '60s prom. Veteran DJs Lucky and Primo... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Soul, R&B, DJ

Smack Dab Magnet : 7:30 p.m. third Wed. of every month
Buried deep down in the very core of our hearts is the passion to perform. We secretly want to dress in 1960s get-up, strap on a ukulele, and do Tiny Tim covers. No? Maybe that's just us. However, we can all agree on the burning desire to perform and create art. The hard part (besides mustering... More >>
Castro/ Noe Valley	Open Mic

"Death Guild" DNA Lounge : 9:30 p.m. every Mon.
Dying to dance, brood, or peel the yellow wallpaper off the wall? Well, so are these fun freaks. Join them at Death Guild, won't you? Every Monday night at DNA Lounge, gaggles of 18-and-over moody bastards come to show off their blackest attire and eyeliner while pouting to goth, industrial,... More >>
South of Market	Industrial, Gothic, Electronica, EDM, DJ, Dance

"Hard French" El Rio : 2:00 p.m. first Sat. of every month
At this point in time, Hard French might as well be a local institution. Now into its third season, the Motown-heavy queer day party presents itself as a viable alternative to the usual Saturday hangover damage control. Head down to the El Rio and you'll be able to catch six hours of "hard... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Soul, Oldies, LGBT, DJ, Dance

"The Teenage Dance Craze" The Knockout : 10:00 p.m. last Fri. of every month
We're just dreaming, but here is our dream: to see dive-bar dancers whose attention to detail matches the obsession of Bay Area vintage-music DJs. For example, at Lonely Teardrops' doo-wop night about a year ago, we lost our composure and requested a Claudine Clark song. "I have one," the DJ... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Rock, Oldies, Garage, DJ

"Housepitality" F8 : 9:00 p.m. every Wed.
Like hunger, the urge to dance can strike at rather inopportune moments. When you get that midweek itch, Housepitality is something you can turn to for relief. Put on by Miguel Solari and PillowTalk's Michael Tello, it's a weekly affair dedicated to the deeper strains of dance music. Swing by... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	House, EDM, DJ, Dance

Gaucho, Eric Garland's Jazz Session, Dink Dink Dink Amnesia : 7:00 p.m. every Wed.
The term "gaucho" commonly refers to nomadic South American cowboys, which is pretty indicative of how the San Francisco band Gaucho plays its version of Gypsy jazz: in Gaucho's hands, le jazz manouche is left playfully unchained to the genre's European historical foundations, allowing the... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Jazz, Gypsy, Free, Acoustic

"1964" Edinburgh Castle : 10:00 p.m. second Wed. of every month; 10:00 p.m. fourth Wed. of every month
This dance party gets the records spinning every second and fourth Wednesday of the month. While the red Christmas lights could come across as gauche, they prove to be casually intimate as you and other stylish fauxhemians are transported to 1964. That's right: The Shirelles, the Sapphires, the... More >>
Hayes Valley/ Tenderloin	Soul, Rock, Oldies, DJ

"Punk Rock Sideshow" Hemlock Tavern : 10:00 p.m. every Mon.
You can blame Al Gore for the dearth of quality punk rock in the jukeboxes of America. Not because of his li'l censor-happy P.M.R.C. wife (who's done plenty of damage, no doubt), but because Al had to go and invent the internet. What a bum! Even dives with great jukes are phasing out their... More >>
Nob Hill/ Russian Hill/ Fisherman's Wharf	Rock, Punk, Hardcore, Free, DJ

"Loose Joints" Make-Out Room : 10:00 p.m. every Fri.
Since 2007, the DJ trio of Tom Thump, Damon Bell, and DJ Centipede has offered up Loose Joints, the most ass-shakingest weekly survey of African-rooted pop in the city. Step into the Make-Out Room, order a couple of drinks, admire the sparkly ceiling decor, and listen before you dance. Along... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Soul, International, House, Hip-Hop, Funk, DJ, Dance

"Radical Vinyl: Gay/Not Gay" El Rio : 9:00 p.m. every Mon.
No other sexually ambiguous club night wears its Kierkegaardian handle quite as well as Gay/Not Gay. Guests walking into El Rio on a Monday evening immediately succumb to a meltdown of libidinal uncertainty and psychological ambiguity. Fortunately, DJs Mrs. Robinson and Jenny Hoyston spin a... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Rock, LGBT, Hip-Hop, Free, DJ, Dance

"Peaches" Skylark Bar : 10:00 p.m. every Thu.
Ever since she was a child, Bay Area DJ ThatGirl has been interested in street art and its connection to the hip-hop movement. However, it wasn't until she attended a rave in 1997 that she discovered her desire to channel this creativity into music, most notably turntablism. She soon purchased... More >>
Mission/ Bernal Heights	Soul, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Funk, Free, DJ

"High Fantasy" Aunt Charlie's Lounge : 10:00 p.m. every Tue.
Weekends are for amateurs — the really good stuff happens during the week. Well, that might be a little hyperbolic, but it's certainly true in the case of High Fantasy. Going on for over two years now, the weekly Tuesday night party at Aunt Charlie's is your midweek destination for a dose... More >>
Hayes Valley/ Tenderloin	LGBT, DJ, Dance