San Francisco
Every night at the Castro, crowds roar as the mighty organ rises – and no, that's not a euphemism. Showtime at this 1922 art deco movie palace is heralded…
Must-see entertainment in California
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Jazz legends and singular talents from Argentina to Yemen are showcased at North America's newest, largest jazz center. Hear fresh takes on classic jazz…
-
San Francisco
The more San Francisco changes, the more this incredible indie record store, art gallery and performance space stays the same. Vinyl enthusiasts will want…
-
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Throw a stone in SF and you'll probably hit a writer (ouch) or reader (ouch again) headed to/from Booksmith. Literary figures organize Booksmith book…
-
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
The landmark 1932 New Mission cinema, now restored to its original Timothy Pfleuger–designed art deco glory, has a new mission: to upgrade dinner-and-a…
-
San Francisco
Uproarious, original political satire since 1961, combining musical theater, Japanese kabuki, slapstick and Italian commedia dell'arte. Performances are…
Hollywood
Summers in LA just wouldn’t be the same without alfresco melodies under the stars at the Bowl, a huge natural amphitheater in the Hollywood Hills. Its…
Oakland
A phoenix arisen from the urban ashes, this restored 1928 art deco stunner adds dazzle and neon lights to Telegraph Ave, where it's a cornerstone of the…
-
Marin County
Do you or did you miss the Marin of yesteryear? Terrapin Crossroads is your portal. Owner – and Grateful Dead bassist – Phil Lesh regularly plays here…
-
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
Hollywood
Founded in New York by Saturday Night Live alums Amy Poehler and Ian Roberts along with Matt Besser and Matt Walsh, this sketch-comedy group cloned itself…
-
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
For 45 years ODC has been redefining dance with risky, raw performances and the sheer joy of movement. ODC's season runs from September to December, but…
-
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Bragging rights are earned with breakthrough shows at the small but mighty Independent, featuring indie dreamers (Magnetic Fields, Death Cab for Cutie),…
-
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Brava's been producing women-run theater for 30-plus years, hosting acts from comedian Sandra Bernhard to V-day monologist Eve Ensler, and it's the nation…
-
North Beach & Chinatown
Snow White searches for Prince Charming in San Francisco: what could possibly go wrong? This Disney-spoof musical-comedy cabaret has been running since…
-
Disneyland Resort
Disney California Adventure's premier show is the 22-minute World of Color, a dazzling nighttime display of lasers, lights and animation projected over…
-
Swedish American Hall & Cafe du Nord
San Francisco
The Castro was once known as Little Scandinavia after the sailors who docked here – and the secret to their community spirit was the speakeasy running in…
-
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
The bottom of Potrero Hill tops the list for rocking with punk legends the Avengers, Pansy Division and Nerf Herder, and newcomers worth checking out for…
-
Marin County
Hosting Bay Area legends, visiting acts and up-and-comers since 1972, this lively venue (in a new location since 2012) is a must for lovers of good ole…
-
Gold Country
This beloved and adorably quirky theater screens a matchless lineup of unusual films and is about a mile south of downtown Nevada City. It serves bowls of…
-
South Bay Beaches
Live music and comedy right on the Hermosa strip. It has something going almost every night, including some big names: David Spade, Arsenio Hall, Alonzo…
-
Gold Country
As the name suggests, this was once an industrial building, constructed in 1856 and used to manufacture Pelton wheels. It has been brilliantly converted…
-
San Joaquin Valley
For fans of the Bakersfield Sound, this is the first stop – just look for the huge neon homage to Buck’s famous red, white and blue guitar. Part museum,…
-
Mt Shasta Region
Dust it up on the 5000-sq-ft maple dance floor in the 1906 Broadway Ballroom. Square dancing, round dancing, ballroom dancing – they do it all. Multiday…
San Diego
Good, clean fun at this cavernous Gaslamp bar with dueling pianos. Talented players have an amazing repertoire, including classics, rock and more. We once…
San Diego
Live venue hosting a range of acts, local and international. Previous artists have included Ben Harper, BB King and Jimmy Cliff. Expect everything from…
-
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Enter the unmarked door on a quiet street and proceed upstairs to an intimate theater that has the distinct air of a vampire's parlor – albeit one with…
-
Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum
Malibu & Pacific Palisades
Actor Will Geer (TV’s Grandpa Walton) founded this beloved open-air theater as a refuge for blacklisted actors like himself during the McCarthy years. The…
-
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Musical prayers are answered in a 1914 California arts-and-crafts landmark with heavenly acoustics. The 40ft roof is regularly raised by shows by New…
-
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
This vintage 1909 cinema is a neighborhood nonprofit with an international reputation for distributing documentaries and showing controversial films…
-
Los Angeles
Professional football returns to LA after a 22-year hiatus. The Rams were the first NFL team in Southern California, starting in 1946, but unbelievably…
-
San Francisco
Bands who sell out shows from Ireland to Appalachia and headline SF's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival jam here on weeknights, taking breaks to clink…
-
North Beach & Chinatown
There's no room to be shy at Cobb's, where bumper-to-bumper shared tables make the audience cozy – and vulnerable. The venue is known for launching local…
-
Hollywood
Assigned seats, exceptional celeb-sighting potential and a varied program that covers mainstream and art-house movies make this 14-screen multiplex the…
-
North Beach & Chinatown
Get your kicks at this 1931 speakeasy with stiff drinks, bawdy vintage bar murals, parquet dance floors for high-stepping like Rita Hayworth (she was in…
-
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Blame it on the bossa nova or the ginned-up Deluxe Spa Collins – you'll be swinging before the night is through. Nightly jazz combos bring the zoot suits…
-
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Choose your seat wisely: you may spend the evening on the edge of it. One-acts and monologues here involve the audience in the creative process, from…
-
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Some bands are too outlandish for regular radio – to hear them, you need San Francisco's Brick & Mortar. The bill here has featured national acts from…
-
Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles
Los Angeles
If you're expecting a stand-and-sing concert, you've got another thing coming. The 275-member GMCLA puts on full-on shows with singing, dancing, costumes…
-
Hollywood
The splendidly restored Pantages Theater is an art deco survivor from the Golden Age and a fabulous place to catch a hot-ticket Broadway musical. Recent…
-
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
The Magic is known for taking risks and staging provocative plays by both up-and-coming and seasoned playwrights. If you're interested in seeing new…
