Venue Name: The Fillmore
City: San Francisco
State/Province: CA
Street Address: 1805 Geary Blvd (@ Fillmore)
Neighborhood: Western Addition/Fillmore District

Website: http://thefillmore.com/
Phone Number: (415) 346-3000

Box Office Hours: On show nights: Doors til 10:00 pm; Sundays 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Public Transit Nearby: MUNI Bus: 22 Fillmore or 38 Geary to Geary & Fillmore (stops right out front, 24 hours)

Affiliation: None (independent venue)

Ticketing: Ticketmaster

Year Opened: 1912 (original); 1994 (current)

Brief History: 

Perhaps one of the most famous venues in the world, The Fillmore – originally called the Majestic Hall – was built in 1912 and used primarily as a dance hall and academy. It wore this and one other disguise for a substantial part of the century (the other being a roller rink in the ‘40s), until its true identity and purpose were eventually discovered in 1952. The man responsible was businessman Charles Sullivan, who took over the property and envisioned it as a performance space, specifically for prominent black musical talent and subsequently became known as “the mayor of Fillmore” for more than a decade. In 1965, a year before Sullivan was tragically murdered, he was introduced to concert promoter Bill Graham, who began booking events at the space, and ultimately took over in 1966, ushering a new era for the stately, historic venue.

San Francisco was changing. The Beats had already virtually taken over North Beach, paving the way for the hippie movement of the 1960s, as tendencies towards radical politics and anti-war sentiment were brewing throughout the nation. San Francisco was quickly becoming one of the most dynamic hubs of counterculture in the world, and though the artistic community as a whole were important contributors to these ideals, Graham sought to focus on bringing the music of the Haight-Ashbury communities to the world’s stage in particular, and his key to the world was The Fillmore. Through his events, the psychedelic music of Moby Grape, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix became synonymous with counterculture and San Francisco as a whole. Of course, this group also included the Grateful Dead, who played the venue fifty-one times between 1965 and 1969 alone. In just a few short years, Bill Graham and The Fillmore changed the face of American music forever.

Today, it still stands, regal and broad, on the corner of Geary and Fillmore. Its ownership has fluctuated greatly over the many years since Graham’s heyday, which ended around 1968. The Stooges and Grateful Dead were mainstays for a few years as the venue changed hands and became the Elite Club, which eventually became a hub for the burgeoning punk movement.

Graham reassumed management in the 1980s, but damages sustained during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake caused the space to close, and would remain as such until the mid-1990s—a few years after Graham died in a helicopter crash—when it was renovated, retrofitted, and reopened under new management. Since then it has bounced back extraordinarily, becoming yet again a focal point for performances of a wide variety of musical genres. Its popularity continued to grow, and now operates, somewhat ironically, under the supervision of Live Nation, which is exactly the kind of large conglomerate of which the hippie movement would greatly disapprove. Regardless of the space’s associations, the original energy and peaceful atmosphere still hangs around like a gentle fog.

Genre(s)/Musical Niche: Eclectic/Rock

Capacity: 1315

Sq. Footage/Acreage: 9136 sq ft

# of Levels: 2

Seating: Only during fully-seated shows (rare); there are a few chairs on the balcony but very few that you can see from

Standing Room/GA:  Yes

Floorplan: Flat/Open Ballroom

Accessibility/ADA: 100% accessible, no separate/special ticket needed

Onsite Medical: Yes

# of Stages/Performance Spaces: 1

Indoor/Outdoor?: Indoor

Open Season: Open Year-Round

Age Restriction: All Ages (no 'babes in arms')

Average Ticket Price: $35

Frequency of Shows: Nightly

Sound System: Excellent sound quality

Notable View Obstruction(s): The balcony does not offer a very comprehensive view of the stage unless you are right by the edge of it.

Aesthetic/Style (Architecture, Atmosphere, Décor): Gothic?

Average Temperature: Perfect

Average Hours Open (Doors to Curfew): 7pm - 11pm/midnight

Usual Time Headliners Go On (on average): 9:15

# of Bars: 3

     Avg. Drink Price: $7

     Last Call: Right before encore

Food For Sale: Tortas, salads, sandwiches (menu changes daily)

     Avg. Food Price: $8

Water Fountains/Coolers/Refill Stations: Yes (coolers)

Dress Code: Casual

Coat Check: Yes

Smoking Area: On street/sidewalk (handstamp required for re-entry)

Restrooms - Quantity & Quality: Mens and womens restrooms on both floors, ground floor is larger; well kept but nothing fancy

Credit Cards Accepted: Yes

Phone Payments: No

Wi-Fi: Yes

ATM Onsite: Yes

Merchandise: Venue merchandise is always available.  Artist merchandise is usually available.

VIP/Upgrades Available: No

Lounge Area: Yes - upstairs has a lounge/restaurant/bar area separate from the ballroom

Available For Private Events? Yes

Parking: Street parking

Security Check (1-10, 1 being lowest, 10 being extreme): 7

Metal Detectors?: No

Bags Allowed?: Yes (no full-size backpacks)

Restricted Items: No weapons/sharp or dangerous items, large markers, food, beverages, drugs, wallet chains, mace, stickers, flyers or multiples of items intended for resale or distribution, professional cameras, video/audio recorders

Other Amenities/Activities: The Poster Room (upstairs lounge) features a full bar, food menu, and seating in a separate room from the main auditorium.  The walls are lined with the venue's signature posters that were used to promote the venue's shows in the 60s.  Incidentally, the venue will hand out similar posters to patrons as they leave sold-out shows.  The poster is unique to each specific show at the Fillmore and are highly sought after collectors' items.

Favorite Nearby Spots (food, drinks, shopping, lodging, etc.):

• The Boom Boom Room - literally across the street (Geary Blvd) pretty much, cool place to dance/drink/listen to blues or local acts after the Fillmore lets out. 1601 Fillmore St, open 4pm-2am Tue & Wed, Sat & Sun; 4pm-4am Thurs & Fri; closed Mondays.
• Japantown - More of a daytime attraction, so make a day of it before the show!  Check out the Peace Plaza and eat to your heart's content at one of the micro-neighborhood's two blocks of eateries, serving up everything from sushi to Benihana. Two block radius formed by Fillmore St on the west, Laguna at the east, Sutter at the north and Geary at the south.
• Kabuki Hotel - This is a very nice (yet not very cheap) hotel right nearby in Japantown if you want to spend the night (though reservations are expected).  Also check out the movie theater that shares the name with the hotel (and the ancient theatre of Japan) right down the street for a cushy cinema experience. 1625 Post St, call (415) 922-3200 for reservations.
• Octavia - For those big spenders who came here to eat, eat, eat - you've probably already heard of Octavia, Lower Pac Heights' raved about New American restaurant just a few blocks away from the venue.  If Japanese ain't your thing and you like elegant cuisine in a clean, modern setting (and you got the chedda' to back it up), then this is your gig. Famed for their desserts. 1701 Octavia St @ Bush St, open everyday 5pm-10pm (10:30pm Fri/Sat)

Notes/Insights/Opinions/Tips:

One of the most effecient, customer-friendly, crowd-pleasing venues in the world.  I have loved every show I have seen here (and have the posters hanging on my wall).  The sound is great, there isn't a bad spot on the whole floor, the bartenders are cool as hell, and the Poster Room is one heck of a way to pass the time between sets...especially if you like specialty cocktails (their Basil Gimlet is $10 but it is TO DIE FOR).  Be sure to check out the décor, and grab a free apple if you're feeling fruity.