touring San Francisco

[fatt-dad]

Dear NG,

I'll be in San Francisco with the family (downtown, union square, fishermans wharf, etc.) Does anyone have a recommendation for music shops to visit or clubs that have good music?

thanks in advance.

fatt-dad
richmond, vA

[mandofiddle]

Hey fatt-dad,
While I don't know San Fran enough to give you any recommendations, I do wonder sometimes why you start off posts with "Dear NG". What does that mean ? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Inquiring minds want to know...

[stanley]

I'd recommend any of those clubs that benigus plays at...tuesdays in or out is his motto...

I've also been told that the plough & stars can often have good irish/celtic music. And check out the Sf bluegrass page for listings/events...hope this helps some.

Bill

[Jim M.]

Not much in music stores in San Francisco. Lark in the Morning has a store in the Cannery at Fisherman' Wharf -- http://www.larkinam.com
Some fun stuff and a lot of instruments from around the world but not high-end mando stuff.

Gryphon, http://www.gryphonstrings.com has a real nice collection of mandolins right now (lots of guitars and other stuff too). They are in Palo Alto, about 30 minutes south of SF by car. In Berkeley is 5th String http://www.5thstring.com/ which has some good stuff, including the owner's own mandolins and guitars. In Pt. Reyes is Lowell Lovenger's Vintage Strings, http://www.vintageinstruments.com , which has a jaw dropping collection of vintage stuff. Not really for browsing, though. If you really think you're going to buy something, Lowell will make an appointment with you. Pt. Reyes is a lovely place to visit if you have the time, but it's a good hour drive from SF.

For music, Freight & Salvage is I think, the best club for acoustic music in the area. Check out their schedule at http://www.thefreight.org

The Sweetwater in Mill Valley is a good venue too: http://www.sweetwatersaloon.com/eventcal.ihtml

The SF Jazz Festival is going on through May. You can check out their schedule at http://www.sfjazz.org/concerts/spring04/quickview.html

There are numerous old time, Irish and bluegrass jams around if you want to play, too.

[delsbrother]

Dear NewsGroup?

[J. Mark Lane]

In my not so humble opinion, Lark in the Morning is 99% junk. But they do (or at least used to) have a shop down by Fisherman's Wharf, so if you insist on hanging out down there it's perhaps worth a visit.

I don't know how many (if any) mandolins they have, but Guitar Solo is a great instrument store in San Francisco. Very high quality stuff, all out on display. It's a bit off the beaten path, but nice.

Does Eric Schoenberg still have a shop in Tiburon?

San Francisco is a beautiful and exciting City. I've spent a lot of time there over many years, and watched it change, quite radically in fact. Places that used to be very "counter-culture" are now...various other things. Areas that used to be rough and now touristy. And vice versa. I've always liked visiting City Lights bookstores (used to be that Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the owner and one of the greatest poets in American history, might be around). Chinatown can be a lot of fun. But much of the City is quite boring these days....The most intereting areas, imo, are north and south of the City. The areas north of Mt. Tam (and the beaches) are worth a trip. Of course, Napa Valley can be great (just don't try it on a nice clear weekend day, unless you are already up there). Sausalito and Tiburon can be cool. Berkeley is a dump. South, Santa Cruz is pretty cool (and you could visit the SC Guitar Co). Palo Alto can be fun. Monterey and Carmel and worth a visit...and there are some good wineries down there.

OK, that's more than you wanted. Sorry. I do carry on.... Enjoy your trip.
Mark

[mad dawg]

Jim: is 5th String's web site new? I never could find one for them before.

[Wadefox]

The Atlas Cafe, in the Mission District, has pretty regular bluegrass (www.atlascafe.net). http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[JiminRussia]

Try this URL for a complete list of what is happening in the Bay Area.

[JiminRussia]

http://www.scbs.org/

Sorry, orgot to do the attach thng.:p

[Michael H Geimer]

Yep. That's the list.

I'll second the "99% junk" bit about Lark in the Morning. Nevertheless, pretty cool shop to wander around in ... some Mid-mo's ... lots of celtic style mandos ... just don't buy. I once heard them knock a 'whopping' $20 off a Strumstick with a hole in the side, saying, "Oh, that's not really a big deal." I was pretty disgusted by the obvious tourist fleecing going on in that transaction.

Oh, and if you're a vintage guitar fan. Check out Real Guitars. Bad neighborghood ... great guitars. www.realguitars.com

If you're in the Union Square / Chinatown area ... look for Clarion music @ Sacramento and Stockton. No mando, but lots of cool ethnic and exotic instruments.

And if you're here on a Tuesday ... let me know, and I'll glady con the guys into playing out somewhere. LOL! I live on (s)Nob Hill, so it sound like you'll be in my part of town. You can even sit in!

- Benig

[Michael H Geimer]

" ....The most intereting areas, imo, are north and south of the City. The areas north of Mt. Tam (and the beaches) are worth a trip. "

Amen to that. Go see the Giant Sequoia in Muir Woods. Heaven on Earth.

[delsbrother]

I was just up to the Bay area for Chinese New Year but I didn't have a car... I couldn't justify the long BART trip to Gryphon and at the time I didn't know about 5th String, but I did go check out Subway Guitars in Berkeley - what a wacked out place that was! Nothing mandolin-ish of note.. Though if you asked, they could probably make anything they had INTO a mandolin for you, LOL.

[Jacob]

Check out Clarion Music (http://www.clarionmusic.com/) at 816 Sacramento Street, just up the hill from Grant Avenue in China Town, for a wide selection of Chinese musical instruments.

[Jim M.]

mad dawg - The 5th string site has been up for a few months as far as I know. I've heard some good reports about the mandos made by the owner but haven't tried one yet.

The proprietor of Subway guitars is known as FattDawg, so you might have something in common with him, FattDad. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif # #And, he makes electric mandocellos, see http://www.fatdawg.com/flock.jpg
I believe Spruce actually has and plays one of these.

And those of us who actually live in the Bay Area don't dismiss Berkeley as off-handedly as our estimable J. Mark does from his lofty view 3,000 miles away. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif #Like any town with a major university, it has dumpy areas, but it also has the aforementioned Freight&Salvage, 5th String Music, and Subway Guitars, as well as some of the finest restaurants in the country.

And, if you like jazz, Oakland has one of the great jazz clubs, Yoshi's. World class performers nearly every night: http://www.yoshis.com/frame_calendar.html

[J. Mark Lane]

Yeah, Berkeley's not so bad. That is, if you don't mind all the old clubs being turned into capuccino joints <g>.

Mark

[fatt-dad]

Dear NewsGroup,

Thanks for the great comments. Quite an offer for the pick.

Fatt-dad (busy packing)

[Daniel Nestlerode]

As a former resident of the Bay Area, let me just add:

1. Guitar Solo in SF (http://www.gspguitar.com/a_main8/shop.html)
2. Schoenberg's in Tiburon, a pleasant ferry ride north of SF into Marin County (http://www.om28.com)
3. Tall Toad in Petaluma (http://www.talltoadmusic.com/)
4. Zone Music in Cotati (http://www.zonemusic.com)

Petaluma and Cotati are roughly 50 and 60 miles north of SF straight up 101 in Sonoma County. So they're not really close enough to SF for a quick stop, but Sonoma County is worth its own day trip: wine tasting (better than that Napa stuff ;-) Korbel is especially worth a visit and tour), beautiful coastline, great restaurants.\

If you're staying in SF proper:
* Go see the ball park (it's now called -yech- SBC Park) and the adjacent kids field and memorial. I think they do tours when there's no games.
* Definitely go to the Palace of the Legion of Honor if like fine art.
* Japantown and Chinatown are fun to walk and get a meal in.
* DO go to Coit Tower and take the elevator ride to the top, amazing view.
* Go sit on Ocean Beach if the weather permits and watch the breakers rolls in.
* Baker beach has a great view of the GG bridge from the south (you may recognize the view, it's been photographed a lot).
* DO walk all the way across the GG Bridge if you have the time and energy. Then stop at the rest area on the north side and look back.
* Visit Fort Point on your way out to or back from the GG Bridge.

I'd better stop there. :-) Not much to do with manolins, though Schoenberg and Tall Toad both carry them.

Best,
Daniel

[mad dawg]

Berkeley is a dump.
I humbly disagree. Although I prefer living in San Francisco or Oakland (out of my 20+ years in the Bay Area, I've lived in SF or Oakland for most of them), Berkeley is a great town with lots to offer. Sure, if one pines for the past they may be disappointed to find their old haunts displaced, but the Freight is still the place to go in the area for roots music, IMHO, and you can join or listen to an open Irish session at the Starry Plough every Sunday night. Berkeley also has tons of great restaurants, good shopping, incredible diversity, and it still has a cool funky vibe.

[fatt-dad]

Dear NG,

Thanks again. Final printing in process. Flight real early in the morning.

f-d
richmond, VA

[Greenmando]

If you get to Santa Cruz I suggest Sylvan Music on 1521 Mission Street Ca 95060. .
Best selection of mandolins on the west coast I have found.Sylvan Music (http://www.sylvanmusic.com/)

[fatt-dad]

Dear NG,

Well, I've returned. Here is my seranade to Yosemite. Travels led me from the mountains to SF, where the cable cars would bring me to various places and I would then throw around a few $20 bills. The only mandolins I saw (other than my Montana - yes that is a solid four-piece top with plywood sides and back) were at the Haight-Asbury Music store, where they had an F-9 at full american retail price along with several pac-rims a tater bug and a pocket tater-bug. Weather was perfect, views from Coit Tower and the walk across the Golden Gate bridge were perfect. Great food at the Washington Park Bar and Grill (get the pork chop), etc.

Lots of fun was had by all.

f-d