Experience the resurgence of San Francisco’s historic Chinatown nightlife at the Lion’s Den. Tucked away on Wentworth Place, this bi-level lounge and performance space blends modern cocktail culture with the East meets West spirit of the Chinatown’s golden age. Every week, the venue transforms into a unique destination for live music, featuring a rotating roster...
Christopher Gamper, an immensely versatile, dynamic, and talented drummer who goes way beyond genres and stylistic boundaries. About his performance: Gamper’s versatility, dynamics, passion, and precision were on full display. He is clearly a formidable collaborator, a chameleon who ingeniously adapts and shapes the music and mood of the song in symbiotic relationship to the...
The Dirty Works Jazz Band brings its signature jam session to Paris 75 every first Thursday. Led by upright bassist Kyle Finley, these "Dirty Works & Friends" nights transform the North Beach venue into a buzzing jazz laboratory. Far from a casual background set, this is a professional performance environment where the house band sets...
Allison Lovejoy at the Rite Spot features Bay Area pianist and composer Allison Lovejoy, a classically trained performer known for blending virtuoso piano technique with dark cabaret theatrics. Trained at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and London's Royal Academy of Music, she draws on influences from Nina Simone and George Gershwin to Kurt Weill...
Saxophonist Howard Wiley and pianist/organist Chris Siebert are longtime collaborators and central figures in the San Francisco jazz and swing scene.
The Patrick Wolff Quartet plays classic jazz in a classic bar, The Redwood Room of the Clift Hotel. With Adam Shulman, Eric Markowitz, and Andre Sumelius.
Victor Little’s Big Hit brings together an array of musicians, working with artists like Booker T. Jones, Billy Preston, Joyce Cooling, Robert Walter, and Bernard Purdie to Local Edition.
Ami Molinelli and Catiá Lund at Mr. Tipples bring together two celebrated artists whose shared passion for Brazilian music, jazz, and world rhythms creates a deeply engaging performance. Drawing from samba, bossa nova, MPB, and Afro-Brazilian traditions, they blend rich rhythmic color with jazz improvisation and contemporary influences. Tickets: $15-20
Witness a true piece of San Francisco musical history as Johnny Z and the Camaros take the stage at Tupelo. If you’ve spent any time in the city’s jazz and rock circuits over the last few decades, you likely know this band; they famously served as the house band for the legendary Gold Dust Lounge...
SHELDON ALEXANDER (Pop-Funk-Soul) ... a dynamic band from the California Bay Area, is captivating audienceswith their unique blend of jazz, R&B/soul, and gospel. Emerging from the heart of Oakland's music scene is Coexist — a mesmerizing cocktail of R&B and Jazz Fusion that doesn't just touch the soul, but seduces it. Orchestrated by the rhythmic genius of...
Celebrate the true heart of the neighborhood at Fish Tank Gallery for North Beach First Fridays. Located on Grant Avenue, Fish Tank Gallery—curated by the renowned Jeremy Fish—is a space dedicated to the creative pulse of North Beach, making it the perfect venue for an artist defined by his proximity and dedication to the area....
California Watercolors at Pier 23 presents an art exhibition curated by Onnie M. Chung, a retired interior design practitioner sharing California Watercolor Regional artists whose work helped shape Disney animation and set standards in movie art direction. The exhibition honors these artists as pioneers of American art history, blending personal memory, mentorship, and inspiration into...
The Lisa Kindred Band carries on the spirit and repertoire of beloved Mill Valley–based blues, folk, and rock singer Lisa Kindred, whose roots stretch from the 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene to decades shaping the Bay Area blues community. At The Saloon, the band keeps her legacy alive with sets steeped in classic blues, roots,...
Katy Stephan’s residency at Comstock Saloon turns the room into a small, candlelit listening space. At the piano she blends jazz‑inflected originals with reimagined standards and art‑pop tunes, her clear, expressive voice sitting right on top of the clink of glassware and low conversation. It’s an intimate, song‑forward set that feels equally at home as...
Gaea Schell and Scott Foster perform at Biordi Art Imports, bringing jazz to North Beach First Fridays. Join them for an engaging performance that blends Schell’s mastery of flute, piano, and vocals with Foster’s expressive guitar playing. Experience a night of sophisticated jazz, rich harmonies, and Latin-inspired rhythms, making for a memorable musical event at...
Experience the unique sound of San Francisco-based guitarist and educator, Ned Boynton. Recognized in Scott Yanow's book, “The Great Jazz Guitarists the Ultimate Guide”, Ned brings a distinctive and highly respected approach to the instrument. His impressive career includes performances with jazz legends like Les Paul, Bucky Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, and Bruce Forman, showcasing his...
The Magic School Busk holds weekly residency directly in front of The Red Window at the corner of Stockton and Columbus. This high‑energy busking collective has become one of North Beach’s unofficial “resident joy‑makers,” blurring the line between band and audience as people pause, sing along, or dance on the sidewalk. Whether you are enjoying a...
Pop by Live Worms and Professor Seagull’s Smartshop for the North Beach First Fridays Art walk featuring work by various local artists Paul Niles, Hassan Shabber and Ben Moseley. Inside the Smartshop, the gallery walls are covered in psychedelic light green and yellow wallpaper — vibrant, but still perfectly balanced to receive and highlight artwork...
Karina Denike and Michael McIntosh appear at the Rite Spot. They are prominent, long-time collaborative musicians based in the San Francisco Bay Area and frequently perform together as a dynamic musical duo and as core members of the vintage jazz and swing ensemble, The Cottontails
Akira Tana Trio featuring Javon Jackson at Mr. Tipples brings together celebrated jazz masters for an evening of hard bop, post-bop, and straight-ahead jazz. Drummer Akira Tana and tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson lead a soulful, swinging set with Gary Brown and Glen Pearson. Tickets: $15-30
Join us at Sweetie’s Art Bar for an unforgettable night with the Vince Lateano Trio! Experience the masterful jazz drumming of Vince Lateano, a San Francisco jazz legend who has played alongside icons like Cal Tjader and Stan Getz. The trio brings a lively mix of classic and contemporary jazz in an intimate setting that’s...
The Golden Sardine in North Beach hosts its First Friday Poetry Series — an upstairs poetry loft gathering featuring readings by Carlos Quinteros III, Reuben Gelley Newman, and Randall Mann in the intimate setting of a wine bar and poetry bookstore. As part of the broader North Beach First Friday Poetry Crawl, this series offers...
Hipsteria is one of San Francisco’s favorite jazz, soul and party bands! Members of Hipsteria have included some of music’s legendary musicians! Featuring “Tender Tim” on drums and some vocals Hipsteria plays every Friday at Etcetera Wine bar.
Malpica is appearing at Belle Cora, bringing high‑energy Cumbia‑ and Salsa‑influenced music to the North Beach wine bar setting. Pablo Malpica blends percussion, guitar and vocals with some original tracks to create an upbeat, community‑minded atmosphere that invites listeners to relax and move to the groove.
Twang City is playing at Otherwise Brewing for North Beach First Fridays featuring Kit Ruscoe, Robi Bean and Marc Levine. Twang City is a dynamic, genre-blending band hailing from San Francisco, CA. Known for their unique fusion of rootsy Americana, indie rock, and a touch of vintage twang, they bring a sound that’s both fresh...