Vibe: Maritime Dive | Radical/Literary Haven | Museum of Oddities
An open gathering of writers, poets, artists and more around the Big Table at Specs every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm! This more than 40 year tradition began with writers Jack Hirschman and Agneta Falk, and continues on with hosts Agneta and writers Byron Spooner and Judith Bernhard. Join us for drinks, laughs, good conversation and become...
Mae Powell Quartet at Specs brings the San Francisco singer-songwriter’s mellow, vintage-tinged voice to a set of jazz standards and bossa nova. Drawing inspiration from Ella Fitzgerald, Astrud Gilberto, and Billie Holiday, Powell and her band give familiar songs a relaxed, intimate feel while leaving room for the indie-soul sensibility of her original music.
Patrick Wolff at Specs features the saxophonist and clarinetist with Keith Saunders on piano, Eric Markowitz on bass, and Austin Harris on drums for an intimate North Beach quartet set....
An open gathering of writers, poets, artists and more around the Big Table at Specs every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm! This more than 40 year tradition began with writers Jack Hirschman and Agneta Falk, and continues on with hosts Agneta and writers Byron Spooner and Judith Bernhard. Join us for drinks, laughs, good conversation and become...
North Beach based jazz and blues guitarist Jose Simioni brings his trio to Specs. With a career spanning three decades and performances in renowned venues, Jose's music captivates audiences with his distinctive style and heartfelt melodies. He came to SF from Washington D.C. for a couple of days with the essentials - “a guitar, an...
James Gallagher Fire in the West Jazz Trio performs at Specs. As a jazz drummer and educator, James Gallagher is a resident performer at the prestigious SFJazz Center who currently resides in Manhattan. After attending Berklee College of Music in Boston on a scholarship, James returned to the West Coast, where he quickly began performing...
Joe Paulino’s HOWL & (my)HOWL Reading at Specs pairs Allen Ginsberg’s landmark Beat poem with Paulino’s contemporary response. Paulino will read both works, tracing how his poem echoes and challenges Ginsberg’s while reflecting on the politics and events of the first Trump administration. Acoustic bassist Mike Shea will improvise alongside the readings, making the interplay...
Charlie and the Tropicales at Specs bring a little New Orleans nightlife to North Beach. Led by trombonist Charlie Halloran, a fixture of the Crescent City’s traditional jazz scene, the horn-driven band plays retro Caribbean melodies and dance rhythms with a 1960s lounge feel. Their sound moves easily between tropicalia, jazz, and rocksteady, giving the...
An open gathering of writers, poets, artists and more around the Big Table at Specs every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm! This more than 40 year tradition began with writers Jack Hirschman...
Monthly jazz jam session led by multi-instrumentalist Smith Dobson and his quartet. Every first Tuesday 8-11pm at Specs! All musicians welcome, bring your instruments!
Dave Easley at Specs brings a distinctive jazz voice to North Beach: pedal steel guitar. Born in Hawaii and based in New Orleans, Easley takes an instrument often associated with country music into jazz, blues, rock, and Americana, using its sustained, bending notes for lyrical improvisation. His solo performance puts that sound—and his range as...
Meredith Edgar and Jamie Duncan at Specs bring smoky jazz and modern Americana to North Beach First Fridays. San Francisco-born singer-songwriter Edgar writes deeply personal songs that pair melancholy with memorable melodies, shaped by influences ranging from Billie Holiday and Julie London to Fiona Apple and Gillian Welch. East Bay guitarist Duncan draws on country,...
An open gathering of writers, poets, artists and more around the Big Table at Specs every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm! This more than 40 year tradition began with writers Jack Hirschman and Agneta Falk, and continues on with hosts Agneta and writers Byron Spooner and Judith Bernhard. Join us for drinks, laughs, good conversation and become...
Max Sanders and Basch Jernigan bring a New Orleans-rooted songwriter set to Specs, pairing Sanders’s twangy, psychedelic Americana with Jernigan’s soulful guitar-and-harmonica blend of blues, folk, rock, funk, and soul. Their duo format should emphasize expressive vocals, acoustic groove, strong storytelling, and the overlap between Gulf Coast blues and the loose, rhythmic spirit of New...
Wonderful Bay Area based vocalist and performer Valeriana Quevedo returns to Specs with her band for an evening of jazz, Latin, blues and songs from the Great American Songbook.
The Cottontails bring polished vintage dance music to Specs, moving easily from Gatsby-era 1920s/’30s jazz and 1940s swing to rhythm-and-blues rooted in the 1950s and ’60s. Expect a stylish but...
An open gathering of writers, poets, artists and more around the Big Table at Specs every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm! This more than 40 year tradition began with writers Jack Hirschman and Agneta Falk, and continues on with hosts Agneta and writers Byron Spooner and Judith Bernhard. Join us for drinks, laughs, good conversation and become...
An open gathering of writers, poets, artists and more around the Big Table at Specs every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm! This more than 40 year tradition began with writers Jack Hirschman and Agneta Falk, and continues on with hosts Agneta and writers Byron Spooner and Judith Bernhard. Join us for drinks, laughs, good conversation and become...
Mr. Lucky & The Cocktail Party bring a rocking, irreverent spin on the Great American Songbook to Specs. Fronted by San Francisco performer Pierre Merkel—known as Mr. Lucky—the group blends classic crooning, swing, lounge jazz, comedy, and performance-art flair, continuing an offbeat musical journey that began in the city’s punk and new-wave scenes of the...
An open gathering of writers, poets, artists and more around the Big Table at Specs every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm! This more than 40 year tradition began with writers Jack Hirschman and Agneta Falk, and continues on with hosts Agneta and writers Byron Spooner and Judith Bernhard. Join us for drinks, laughs, good conversation and become...
Luis Salcedo and Nathan Bickart reunite at Specs for an intimate duo performance of original music and beloved jazz standards. Bay Area–raised collaborators for more than a decade, Salcedo and Oakland-based pianist Bickart are best known for their work in LUMAMA, a project built around friendship, detailed improvisation, and a shared sense of melody; Salcedo...
An open gathering of writers, poets, artists and more around the Big Table at Specs every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm! This more than 40 year tradition began with writers Jack Hirschman and Agneta Falk, and continues on with hosts Agneta and writers Byron Spooner and Judith Bernhard. Join us for drinks, laughs, good conversation and become...
Monthly jazz jam session led by multi-instrumentalist Smith Dobson and his quartet. Every first Tuesday 8-11pm at Specs! All musicians welcome, bring your instruments!
Benny Amón’s New Orleans Pearls at Specs’ features a classic jazz drummer and bandleader known for his deep New Orleans roots, regular performances at landmarks like Preservation Hall and Snug Harbor, and an active Bay Area presence
Join Oakland-based Hernandez Hideaway at Specs for Balkan beats, Klezmer stylings, goofball remixes and original tunes. Playing the Bay and beyond since 2009, this band is always working hard to find that sweet spot where traditional meets modern. Bottoms up: bass (Dan Harrison), accordion (Tim Phillips), trombone (Sam Hernandez), saxophone (Claire Phillips), and voice (Lucie...