by Roselee Srsen on This just might be my favorite place in San Francisco to catch a show! It fits a lot of people, but it still feels intimate. There are ins and outs! The parking is pretty easy (I always park on Van Ness) and the staff is always chill. The sound system is pretty good, and I really love the architecture. This place is historic (since 1907)! And the marquee is beautiful. Best of all, it's also one of the few all ages music venues in the city. I came here often when I was underage and still do. The upstairs has some seating, but it's kind of hard to see the stage unless you're right near the banister. Definitely see a show here!
by Chasidy Shillingburg on Great prices for the drinks(who knows what they are serving you!),music is ok.... it's not my kind of place, two stepping not so easy as I thought. Though I like country music, none of their songs were familiar, I guess need to update on that:) Would I go again?Maybe.... Cowboys? Plenty but none of my taste... Crowded? After 11pm it got packed but with toddlers:(
by Jen K. on I read reviews before hand to figure out parking. But when we got there, I still couldn't figure it out. I settled for the lot right next to the Avalon. The parking attendant (not valet) said it was $25. Then he said it was $20 to park on the roof of the next building over. I was pretty fed up with the parking situation at that point, so I gave up. The ramp into the lot is kinda steep and I scraped my skid plate. Noob. We pre-bought two $20 tickets for $46 on the interwebz. So tacked-on fees and crap weren't bad. I have a feeling we could've gotten in for less if we just dealt with the lines. Treated it like a nightclub, not a music venue. I noticed the high older Asian population, I don't know about the rolling thing. The bar wasn't too crowded. We got attention right away. $21.50 before tip for two drinks, Vegas prices. When we got there, it was pretty sparse, but filled in nice. Like Anna Paquin's chest. [insert "you're a bad dancer" jokes] Onward. There were two DJs opening before the main event. The pre DJs played in one of the side balconies converted into a booth. Then when the main event came on, the curtains rose on the stage on the floor. I was kind of miserable on the floor. But then we went up on to the balcony. The balcony has these carpeted bleacher seats. I loved that you could sit down if your stilettos got to killing you. I got a spot on the railing at the edge of the balcony. That was perfect. But if I was higher up on the bleachers, the lighting would've blocked my view. There's no re-entry. Boo. The staff was all pretty friendly. The bouncer didn't give attitude. He talked story with us for a second. The bartender was nice. The bathroom lines were insane, as all nightclubs. Can you really penalize a place on a review when all clubs are that way? The bathroom had an attendant. But sadly, her tip jar had only a few bucks. The ten minutes I was in line, I didn't see anyone drop her a cent. They sold the standard gum and mints and candy. But they took it a step further. They sold lip gloss and silk fans. Because it gets so hot in clubs. Genius. Since there's no smoking inside, all the nicotine addicts were outside, cluttered around the fire exit. Ghetto.
