San Franciso scene

everett

I shot this footage over 10 years ago for another project. This is Gaucho's song "Amnesia", filmed at the namesake club in the mission district. The band's had an almost 20 year Wednesday night residency there, and the club is now unfortunately closing.

Here's a snapshot of what make's SF a special place, and also the reality of it's change over the past 10 years, with several clubs closing it's doors and live music venues struggling to get folks out let alone pay musicians well :(

https://www.gauchojazz.com/

https://youtu.be/3Op3LLeb9eA

Buco

Great video!

opus20000

Considering what San Francisco has become and is, I'm not at all surprised. People get what they have voted for.

everett

What “is” San Francisco opus? And what did we vote for?

opus20000

Someone's responsible for the homelessness and homeless excrement on the streets of SF....

everett

Thank you for sharing your opinion on my friend's bands video, and your assumption on the politics of the bay area forum members here.

opus20000

The song is very nice. Me having had business with Silicon Valley I know the area very well. It was you who brought out the struggles and the changes of the past ten years, I gave you my observations. That's all.

everett

I brought up the struggling arts community that you equated to all San Franciscans voting for having human excrement on our streets.

opus20000

Very well then, what do you attribute the struggles of the arts community and the closing of clubs over the past 10 years in SF to?

Stringswinger

As someone who has lived in San Francisco on and off for 44 years (and I am a homeowner here), let me add this to this thread:

Gigs anywhere, but particularly in SF come and go. Having been in the Restaurant business (I have owned four including one here in SF over the years), a 20 plus year run like that enjoyed by Amnesia is pretty good.

While there is no doubt that San Francisco's brand of progressive politics is in many ways responsible for the demise of small businesses (I had my share of problems with the City fathers/mothers 35 years ago and in those days they were not nearly as radical as they are today), there are other reasons for small business failures in today's San Francisco, particularly high tech's upward pressure on real estate prices which affects everything in City life today.

Today's young people choose to spend their disposable income on things other than arts and music, so making a living with arts and music is difficult in a place like San Francisco to say the least.

I have sat in with Guacho and can say that they are a fun band. I am sure that they will find a new location for their weekly music making and merriment.

All is not dire in San Francisco yet. I still get hired to do high dollar gigs in San Francisco every year.

swiessler

First, I enjoyed this video, and wished I had been aware of this gig before the end of it's long run! Seems like almost as much of an institution as "Beach Blanket Babylon" was. As a born and raised San Franciscan who worked for the City of S.F. for thirty plus yrs, both Opus and Stringswinger are right. The two elements mentioned, one by each of them are slowly strangling the music out of a city that was once home to simultaneously vibrant jazz, blues, rock, bluegrass, folk and classical music scenes. We can still enjoy the music still in the bay area, and patronize the venues which provide it.

end of sermon.