Dave Eggers
Author
Dave Eggers has written a lot of books, started a few things accidentally, and spent an unusual amount of time trying to convince young people that their stories matter. Somewhere in there he also founded McSweeney’s, co-founded 826 Valencia, and became one of the people most associated with a certain version of San Francisco: ambitious, odd, literary, occasionally idealistic to the point of impracticality.
His picks are mostly music-related because San Francisco remains, somewhat improbably, one of the great music towns in the world. Not louder than other cities, maybe, or more famous for it anymore. But there are still nights here where you walk into a room and remember that human beings invented live music because they needed a reason to leave the house and sit beside strangers for two hours.
Venue Picks
You can’t have a bad time at Mr. Tipples. People dress up and act civilized, the food is very good, and the acts — mostly from out of town — are constantly surprising. Impress your date and bring them here. You will look sophisticated for a few hours at least.
Legend has it that this is SF’s oldest bar, and it looks it. The music’s great, there’s a dog alseep on the bar, the beers are cheap, and the wine (only “red” and “white”) is served in the kinds of glasses you used to drink your apple juice out of in junior high. I could not love this place more. Don’t miss Jinx Jones when he plays the room — the place explodes.
This is a newish, very unassuming club that feels like you’re in someone’s living room. The owner, Simon Rowe, knows his jazz and introduces each act himself. Chances are the guy sitting next to you brought his trumpet and will guest in the middle of the set. This is that kind of place — a tight community brought together by a passionate curator.