by Hiro K. on Went here for Ferry Corsten, actually my first experience of a concert for this type of music (my usual flavor is hiphop and rock shows). He blew away the night club with his performance. The acoustics are just perfect, with the speakers playing out to what is basically like a fishbowl. The moving lights coming down is spectacular, and the dancers were great as well. The crowd is diverse but not ghetto, which is a huge plus. The ticket to the show was $50, which is a bit on the lower side for concerts and especially one that's as long as this. I can see why it has the sky high reputation as the bona fide electronica venue in SF. Another plus is that you don't have to go all Magellan for a parking spot and venture through three ghetto blocks to get back to your car (if it's still there). I would recommend anyone to check out this night club at least once, and on a day that a big artist will be coming.
by Kellye Crampton on Been coming here for a few years now for college night type parties, back to when it was called Moya. I wasn't so impressed with Moya, and I wasn't so impressed with Selam. I came out here for a college night party, with low expectations, having been disappointed before. We got in fairly quickly for $5 at 12PM. The downstairs area had a band playing, but was way too crowded and hot for dancing. After the band went off stage and the DJ started playing, the crowd thinned out a bit..and then a LOT. Soon the place was starting to look deserted as the rave tunes continued and no one felt like dancing to them. It might be the bad lighting (some areas are too light, others too dark, none of them feel fun), the poor sound quality (giant mounted speakers aren't making for the best acoustics), or just the style of the music (why keep playing the same songs that are driving people upstairs and away from the dance floor?), but whatever it is that it takes to make a nightclub have a successful, happenin' dance floor, Selam doesn't have it. I'll probably come back at least one more time over the semester, but I won't have expectations. At least our group found some dropped cash in the parking lot. Social experiment? Really unlucky person? Oh well. I pocketed $20.
by Ali Krummel on Great Venue! Saw Todd Rundgren do his entire 1973 album "A Wizard a True Star" and anyone familiar with Todd's music knows he is probably the most underrated, underplayed great musician on the planet. I saw this same show in 1973 and was just amazed to see it again 26 years later. Really makes you realized how far ahead of his time he was when he made that album. Although the Orpheum was only 2/3 full (bought tickets at the door) the show was great. As for the Orpheum, the people working their were great including all the ushers and bartenders. Unlike the pretentious attitude you get at some other venues. I really liked the fact it is such an old theatre and they renovated it nicely but kept it simple. You may pay a little more for a show here but the entire experience is worth it. Highly recommended!
