Great American Music Hall
(415) 885-0750
859 O'Farrell St
San Francisco,
CA
94109
37.7849
-122.419
Neighborhoods: Northeast, Civic Center
Last updated 3.31.09
What People Are Saying About Great American Music Hall
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In Short
Open in one form or another since 1907, the Great American was a restaurant-bordello in the Roaring '20s and a French restaurant in the '70s. Today, soaring columns, an ornate balcony and frescoed ceiling create an elegant setting for performers ranging from PJ Harvey to Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. The first floor is essentially for dancing, though things can get too packed for that. The balcony is offers space for relaxing or eating a burger.
User Reviews
cyngrant
March 18, 2009
Yes, some of the Bay Area's very best local bands got their very big break right at their very stage. What a great San Francisco institution! Don't go away anytime soon.
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Lochardil
October 01, 2008
I went to see one of my all time musical heroes here last night (Peter Hammill). The building itself is lovely, very atmospheric, but the evening was completely spoiled for me for two reasons. One is that the staff there seem to lack any form of social skills, they tend to treat all of us paying customers like naughty children. The tone was set early on in the evening when we moved a chair out of our way and one one the (seeming tens) of staff who seem to hang around watching the audience without much to do, mumbled t us "...you only had to ask....", seems it's not allowed to move chairs. There was also a restriction on taking flash photography of the show but one of the staff jumped right at a group of people who were taking flash photographs of each other, around an hour before the show was due to start. . I honestly felt like I was back at school, we were frightened to move out of our seats! Worse, it was a quiet, semi acoustic show and the show was completely spoilt by this venue having no idea how to host a show like this. There is a noisy bar in the main hall and the bartenders clinked glasses and opened and shut the till throughout the performance making loads of noise and generally disrupting the show. Even worse still, the bunch of staff who seem to just generally hang around and tell everyone what to do started to goof around during the performance, obviously not enjoying the show themselves, they started disrupting it for the audience by goofing around and talking in loud voices to each other - unbelievable! Oh and also, this venue is on the borders of the Tenderloin which, if you don't know, is San Francisco's inner city bad area, so you need to be very careful as you walk to the venue. As we walked there what sounded like a gun shot went off and we had to negotiate our way past some very scary looking characters, obviously high.
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lexipac
August 12, 2008
Wow, what a blast from the past! I remember going here on weekday evenings when I was barely legal and watching local great Chris Isaak, amongst many. It's good to know that the institution is still there, and that they're not going away anytime soon.
read full reviewThe Details on Great American Music Hall
Parking:
The street can be a nightmare. Park at the Cathedral Hill Parking Garage and GAMH will validate ($5 for four hours). Valet is available for select shows.
Know Before You Go:
After doors open and before the music begins, you can dine here. The menu varies, call for details.
The Extras:
It holds up to 600 people and can be rented for weddings and parties. Full catering is also available. Call for details.
Category:
Nightclubs, Bars & Pubs, Bars & Clubs
Payment Methods:
Bar & Pub Special Features:
Bar & Club Type of Music:
Reggae, Folk & Bluegrass, Alternative Rock, Jazz, Hip-Hop & Rap, World, Funk, Soul & R&B, Blues, Rock & Pop, Hard Rock & Heavy Metal, Latin
