Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
262
All-Ages Music Venues
Here's the lowdown on the handful of places where you can take older children
to hear music . At rock clubs, ear plugs ar e always a good idea, and a good
habit f or t eens t o get int o bef ore they head off t o clubs on their o wn. The
Great A merican Music Hall
(p . 252), among the lar ger clubs , is the most
physically comfortable. I t has tables and chairs and a full menu . As in ev ery
club, the type of crowd drawn depends on the ac t, but aged Dead-Heads and
folkies are the norm her e. Shows generally beg in at 8pm, so y ou won't want
to bring sleepyheads with you. The
Warfield
(p. 252) and the
Fillmore
(p. 248)
are similar k inds of halls , both in dodgy sec tions of t own. They draw young-
ish crowds that might intimidate some kids, so I'd think twice before bringing
kids under 16 t o either plac e. At least at the F illmore, you can hang out and
watch the sho w from the balc ony, since almost ev eryone else will be on the
main floor. A smaller club that 's both c omfortable and c ool for kids is
Slim's
(333 11th St.;
&
415/255-0333;
www.slims-sf.com). Bands t end to be small
national ac ts, locals, and up -and-comers. The best wa y to enjoy an ev ening
here with k ids is t o buy dinner tickets , which g ive your party seating on the
upstairs balcony. The food is simple —quesadillas, burgers, potato skins—but
it's better than standing (dinner tickets c ost $20, plus the r egular show ticket
price). Tickets f or sho ws star t at only $12 and t op out at under $30. S ome
shows at
Café du Nor d
(see “What to Do I f You Have a Sitt er” box, earlier in
this chapter) are open t o under-21s.
Two other all-ages clubs w on't impr ess the k ids with ho w hip y ou've
become, but if y ou like jazz, they ar e worth checking out. Near Union S quare
in a basement is
Biscuits and Blues
(401 Mason St.;
&
415/292-2583;
www.
biscuitsandblues.com). Local jazz and blues musicians ar e of ten on tap . The
Southern-style f ood is just ok ay, but ther e's a childr en's menu , and dinner
patrons get the best seats. For classier premises and straight-ahead jazz, check
10
October to early M ay. Programming includes a “M usic for Families” series, which con-
sists of Saturday afternoon concerts for kids 7 and older held four times a season, annual
holiday concerts, and a Chinese New Year's matinee concert featuring Asian instruments
and music. O n select Wednesdays at 10am y ou can vie w featur ed musicians in open
rehearsals, but you must buy tickets for the privilege.
Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness
Ave. (at Gr ove St.).
&
415/864-6000.
w ww.sfsymphony.org and w ww.sfskids.org. Music f or
Families concert tickets $10-$55, half-pric e for children under 13. Open r ehearsal tickets $20
and $30.
San Francisco Youth Symphony Orchestra
If you've wondered where the kids
who actually practice end up, make every attempt to see this award-winning ensemble of
12- to 21-y ear-old vir tuosos. They play S aturday matinees in N ovember, M arch, and
May; present
Peter and the Wolf
in an annual winter holiday concer t; and perform occa-
sional special concer ts. Tickets ar e av ailable thr ough the bo x office or w ebsite.
Davies
Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. (at Grove St.).
&
415/864-6000.
www.sfsymphony.org. Tickets
$10 and $25.
