Mitch Polzak is a guitarist, singer, banjoist, and bandleader appearing at The Saloon in North Beach under his own name. He draws on rockabilly, 1960s country, honky tonk, Bakersfield-influenced country, surf, early rock and roll, bluegrass, Cajun, blues, and related American roots styles, reflecting a long career steeped in these traditions.
Keeping folks up past 10 pm in SF is no easy feat, but Key’s owner Simon Rowe has been showcasing the best of the Bay Area’s organ trios in his late night Saturday sets. His ‘Transcendent Trio’, formed for a “Jazz on the Patio” residency during the pandemic will feature the dynamic Kai Lyons- guitar,...
Veronica Margaret takes the Makers Stage at Filbert & Grant for the North Beach Festival with the quiet, unhurried charm of an Edwardian ghost — a San Francisco folk singer-songwriter who haunts the city's cafes with her six-string and a gift for spinning elaborate stories about people who may never have existed, but feel completely...
Louisiana-born living legend Jules Broussard has been blowing away Bay Area audiences with his double-saxophone serenades and soulful solos for over 60 years, sharing stages and studios with Alice Coltrane, Van Morrison, and Carlos Santana across an 88-year life well lived in music. At the Green & Columbus Stage, Broussard brings his freshly minted New...
The Charles Unger Experience brings a true San Francisco jazz institution to the Main Stage at Broadway & Columbus, led by saxophonist, bandleader, composer, and Bay Area legend Charles Unger — a major force on the local music scene for over 40 years. Playing alto, tenor, and soprano saxophone across jazz, R&B, and World Beat,...
Marissa McLain brings her classic jazz vocal stylings to Otherwise Brewing for a special Sunday afternoon performance during the North Beach Festival 2026, joined by a rotating cast of friends on musical accompaniment from 12 to 2 PM. A familiar and beloved presence at the brewery's recurring Sunday sessions, McLain's warm, effortless voice is the...
The Word on the Beach returns to the Makers Stage at Broadway & Columbus with a second gathering of powerful voices — David Byrd, Genny Lim, Danny Rosen, Evan Kennedy, Jalal Huyler, and Jessica Loos — continuing the festival's celebration of the spoken and written word in the great San Francisco literary tradition. Each poet...
Experience the ultimate "living theater" of North Beach as The Magic School Busk takes up their weekly residency directly in front of The Red Window. Positioned at the vibrant, sun-soaked corner of Stockton and Columbus, this high-energy busking collective captures the spontaneous spirit of the neighborhood. The performance is a masterclass in Street Swing and...
Valeriana Q and the Swingin' Gatos bring a joyful, cross-generational mix of song and style to the Green & Columbus Stage, with vocalist Valeriana Q drawing on a performing life that runs deep in North Beach history. A proud veteran of Beach Blanket Babylon from 1995 until its closing, she carries on a family legacy...
The Vivants bring their roots-soaked sound to the Main Stage at Broadway & Columbus, a San Francisco acoustic quartet whose musical faith is firmly planted in the inspiring traditions of Southern music and showmanship. Their recently completed third album, Bluegrass Special, shimmers with bluegrass, old-time country, and gorgeous sister-harmonies throughout — a record that captures...
The Good Bad bring their high-octane string music and three-part harmonies to the Makers Stage at Filbert & Grant, a San Francisco bluegrass quintet formed in 2010 by Aaron Lanes and Thom Beneudici that has spent the past decade and a half building a devoted following across the Bay Area and well beyond. The five-piece...
Silverset brings their indie alternative rock sound to Otherwise Brewing on Sunday, June 21st from 3 to 5 PM, closing out the North Beach Festival 2026 weekend with the kind of propulsive, guitar-driven energy that makes an afternoon feel like it could last forever. Whether you're winding down from a full weekend of festival music...