The Door Slammers are the legendary blues-rock band founded by the late Johnny Nitro, a cornerstone of the San Francisco North Beach blues scene. Known for their gritty guitar-driven sound and soulful performances, they played regularly at The Saloon and influenced Bay Area blues for over three decades, mentoring many local musicians. The band continues...
The 3rd Thursday Band is a San Francisco-based blues and rock group known for lively performances at The Saloon. Led by Mike Dingle on guitar and vocals, with Mike McKevit on lead guitar and vocals, they deliver classic rock and blues covers alongside original tunes, energizing audiences with their tight, soulful sound. Mark Yee -...
Bay Area multi-instrumentalist Smith Dobson continues the Horns of SF series at Keys Jazz Bistro on the saxophone, with his long-running quartet, featuring Keith Saunders on piano, Eric Markowitz on bass, and Tony Johnson on drums. The quartet, which held court every Tuesday for nearly a decade at the now defunct Club Deluxe, will be...
Kathy Stephan brings torch songs, swing standards, and a touch of twang to the Comstock Saloon’s polished‑but‑raucous barroom. Her voice leans into the room’s natural reverb, floating over brushed drums, piano, and upright bass while cocktails clink and the lights stay low. Expect classic tunes, a few deep‑cut surprises, and the kind of between‑song banter...
Paris 75’s rotating jazz bands turn this corner of North Beach into a little slice of the Left Bank. Each week a different small ensemble—trios, quartets, and vocal groups—leans into swing, standards, and café‑style jazz that pairs naturally with wine, cocktails, charcuterie, and late‑night conversation. The vibe is intimate and unhurried: close‑up solos, brushed drums,...
Bay Area multi-instrumentalist Smith Dobson continues the Horns of SF series at Keys Jazz Bistro on the saxophone, with his long-running quartet, featuring Keith Saunders on piano, Eric Markowitz on bass, and Tony Johnson on drums. The quartet, which held court every Tuesday for nearly a decade at the now defunct Club Deluxe, will be...
Jon Lawton is one of the best Folk, Blues, Americana singer/songwriters you’ve never heard of. He has been writing, recording and performing for decades. Jon plays an always interesting blend of original and traditional blues, country and folk music. Big Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee, John Lee Hooker, Hank Snow, Steve Earle, Pete Seeger, and Merle...
Mike Henderson, dubbed “the Blues Professor” by John Lee Hooker, is a veteran blues guitarist, singer, and bandleader who holds a monthly afternoon slot at The Saloon, San Francisco’s oldest bar. His sets lean into electric Chicago and West Coast blues, with lived‑in vocals and sharp guitar work. It’s barroom blues at close range.
Katy Stephan’s residency at Comstock Saloon turns the room into a small, candlelit listening space. At the piano she blends jazz‑inflected originals with reimagined standards and art‑pop tunes, her clear, expressive voice sitting right on top of the clink of glassware and low conversation. It’s an intimate, song‑forward set that feels equally at home as...
The Magic School Busk holds weekly residency directly in front of The Red Window at the corner of Stockton and Columbus. This high‑energy busking collective has become one of North Beach’s unofficial “resident joy‑makers,” blurring the line between band and audience as people pause, sing along, or dance on the sidewalk. Whether you are enjoying a...
“In sassy, solidly assured, crowd-pleasing form, a whole lot of interpretive brilliance.” —JazzTimes Acclaimed for her inventive artistry and magnetic stage presence, Clairdee’s lustrous voice and soulful delivery hearkens back to a time when jazz, pop, and rhythm and blues often blended seamlessly together. Combining scene-stealing charisma with heartfelt humility and a sincere belief in...
Two-time Latin Grammy nominee Eddy Navia and Quentin Navia are joined by master violinist Georges Lammam, dancers and dancing. Their performances blend the charango (a traditional ten-string instrument), haunting sounds of panpipes (zampoñas) and notched flutes (kena) with high-energy rhythms. You don’t need a plane ticket to experience a "little piece of South American carnaval,"...
