The Current Electronic Dance Music Scene In San Francisco

San Francisco, just like any major international city, is home to a diverse music scene. In fact, it is not difficult for music fans to find entertainment venues that cater to their favorite genres. For example, indie fans love attending Slims and Rickshaw Stop. Jazz fans feel at hom at SFJAZZ.

Likewise, EDM also has a strong presence in the ‘City by the Bay’. In other words, San Francisco has an EDM scene that has attracted international headliners and rising prospects alike.

San Francisco’s Nightlife

To clarify, San Francisco’s nightlife is unique, in a city that combines artistic open-mindedness with technological innovation. Some of San Francisco’s prominent nightclubs and lounges include Mezzanine, Audio, and 1015 Folsom. Mezzanine for instance, provides two high-quality sound systems, two full-sized bars, and a VIP area.

Similarly, Audio is located in the SOMA district and the nightclub frequently features Trance and Electronica producers. Furthermore, 1015 Folsom is San Francisco’s largest nightclub and it has five individual rooms on three levels. Each individual room hosts different music genres for attendees who want to party until the early morning hours.

ToonTown New Year’s Eve 1991 Party

Generally when some people think of EDM they imagine loud, bass-bumping music played in arenas and large parks. Of course, San Francisco has been around since the early-90s, especially during the first dot-com boom. As Silicon Valley continued growing, San Francisco hosted a party in 1991 that gave rave culture nationwide recognition.

To emphasize, ToonTown was a warehouse party that attracted over 7,000 attendees and had House and Techno DJs performing. Additionally, ToonTown was also a New Year’s Eve party that had techies and ravers celebrating with each other. In short, ToonTown represented a partnership between techies and ravers that challenged against the modern capitalist system.

Events And Festivals In The San Francisco Bay Area

Together with the aforementioned nightclubs and lounges, San Francisco and its nearby surroundings also host music festivals as well. One high-profile festival is the Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco’s largest music festival, hosted at Golden Gate Park. Meanwhile, BottleRock Napa Valley in nearby Napa offers a wide selection of musical acts alongside delicious food and music.

Another notable festival is the Treasure Island Music Festival and it boasts talented Rock, EDM, Rap, and indie stars. Uniquely, Treasure Island is a neighborhood that is also an artificial island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. In addition, tourists who are visiting San Francisco for the first time should also check out music at concert halls. These concert halls include but are not limited to The Warfield, The Masonic, and The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.

Read More: What To Expect At BottleRock Napa Valley 2019

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Kenny Ngo


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