Description: One of the best things about Mezzanine is that they don’t cater to any specific crowd. DJ events, live music, gay nights, whatever… They do it all. Whatever the event, it’s always big. It’s like they have this special knack for finding those bands and DJ’s who are on the brink of national stardom but still are playing big clubs instead of concert halls. The staff can not be beat from cool bouncers to great bartenders, the sound system rocks and they manage to never let it get so packed that it’s uncomfortable.
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Name: The End Up
Address: 401 6th St.
'Hood: SOMA
Hours: Varies url: www.theendup.com Popular nights: Fag Fridays, Ascension (Saturday AM), Sunday T Dance (Sunday AM) |
Description: What can you say about The End Up? It’s perfectly named, that’s for sure. The End up is actually where every one who refuses to go home after a night of heavy drinking and doing drugs “ends up”. As a venue it’s nothing special but it is probably the only place in SF where you can stay until 12 noon the next day and not be the most cracked out freak in the place. They do parties during regular hours and during the week too but the time to go is definitely after hours. Homophobes beware… It is always a very mixed crowd.
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Name: DNA Lounge
Address: 375 11th St.
'Hood: SOMA
Hours: 9p-4a url: www.dnalounge.com Popular nights: Remedy (Fridays), Pop Roxx (4th Saturdays), Bootie (2nd Saturdays)
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Description: DNA Lounge had it’s hey day a few years back but they still bring in killer shows, have one of the best sound systems in the city, super friendly and courteous staff and they have a late night permit so the parties don’t have to stop when the booze does. This is a big club with a big club sound system but the vibe usually feels very cozy. Promoters have a lot of flexibility with décor, multiple rooms, different positions for the dj, etc so it is always interesting and fresh
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Name: Mighty
Address: 119 Utah St.
'Hood: Potrero
Hours: 9p-4a url: www.119mighty.com Popular nights: Mighty Breaks (2nd and 4th Fridays)
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Description: Mighty is like DNA Lounge’s smaller sibling. It’s tucked away deep in Potrero (map quest it if you have never been there!) and it is so secluded that they usually make a 3rd room out of the smoking area out in front. Mighty brings in a lot of breaks and burning man related events. Another place with killer sound (monster stack speakers actually), friendly staff and a relaxed vibe. It’s a destination spot so come with plans to stick around for the long haul.
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Name: Shine
Address: 1337 Mission St.
'Hood: SOMA
Hours: 9p-2a url: www.shinesf.com Popular nights: Our House is your House (Wednesdays), Fix (3rd Saturdays), Music Beyond Borders (3rd Thursdays) |
Description: Shine is loosely affiliated with a great burning man camp, Deep End. A small intimate venue that consistently brings in top notch local DJ’s (mostly breaks, prog and trance depending on the night). The photo booth in the back of the club has drawn a lot of attention online since it is directly linked to Flickr. Night after night, drunkards pose for the camera and then check out their pics online the next day… Great idea! Even if the booth wasn’t there though, this place is a great spot for catching some local heros on the 1’s and 2’s and grabbing a cheap drink.
Description: Ruby Skye is hands down the biggest, most decadent club in San Francisco. Don’t let that scare you away though, it knows how to throw a party. Week after week, the biggest DJ talent in the world comes through there. Sasha, Carl Cox, LTJ Bukem, Sander Kleinenberg, Tiesto… This is where they come. The venue is massive and the sound system is the best in the city. On the other hand, drinks are expensive and watery, the staff is typical of a huge club (non-friendly) and the cover can be pretty steep depending on who the headliner is. With that said though, Ruby Skye is THE place to see world class DJ talent in SF.
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Name: Bambuddha Lounge
Address: 601 Eddy St.
'Hood: Tenderloin
Hours: 9p-4a Popular nights: Sunday Pool Sessions
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Description: To really appreciate Bambuddha Lounge for what it is, you need to look at the big picture. It’s pretty small, the crowd can be a bit Marina-ish (not always a bad thing, but usually in my book), and drinks are pretty steep. That might not be a very good pitch for the place, but the goods definitely make up for the bads. Sunday pool sessions when the weather is nice are one of the coolest happenings in SF and the parties that happen during the nights year round are off the hook. Bambuddha is one of those places that you might hate yourself for loving but give in to it and let the place grow on you. You’ll keep coming back.
Description: If there is one thing that the Dutch do well, it’s partying. So when they Dutch company that runs Supper Club opened one up here in San Francisco, we were all chomping at the bit to get a peak at this performance/dance/miami-esque club. While the drinks can be madly expensive, the décor and vibe here make up for it. Music managers Michael Anthony and Didji Kelli make sure that the talent coming through is top notch with regular performances by DJ’s who are among the best in the world. It’s a good place to go when you want to drink martini’s while you party and pretend that you live in a city that dolls themselves up to go out.
Description: Anu is described by it’s owners as a Nocturnal Refuge. It started out as a cozy little bar with a DJ booth in the back as almost an afterthought. It was clear that it was not going to stay that way for long when, night after night, the place was getting packed with partiers from every scene dancing in every crevice in the establishment. Since then, they expanded the dance floor a couple of times and turned up the volume. Promoters like Scott Carrelli, Sinukus and Kuse consistently bring in DJ talent for their various nights that keep this little “refuge” packed and filled with energy.
Description: Pink is a house music lovers dream come true. It’s a small, intimate venue located in the upper part of the Mission (it used to be Liquid for those who around in the dot com days) with great plush décor and bumpin’ sound system. Music is booked through SF house legend Franky Boissy and with dj’s like DJ Seven, M3, David Harness and Julius Papp holding down residencies, house music is the genre on tap and it is served in healthy portions.
In our ongoing quest to keep you dialed into what's really going on out there in the city, we bring you a video about one our favorite hard working nightlife photographers: Gene from Phatcatphoto.com. See the video and visit Gene's website, @ www.phatcatphoto.com
