The Warfield — Attraction in San Francisco

I've actually been going to concerts here for years for different genres of music (from heavy metal to Kpop). It's actually one of my favorite venues due to the proximity to public transportation; you can just walk from the Powell Street BART station. Though if you decide to take a rideshare to the location nowadays, my Uber driver dropped me off across the street rather than on the actual block of the venue.

Mobility wise, if you have trouble going up & down stairs, it's best to stick to floor or GA tickets. I'm too old to stand for hours at a concert anymore (not to mention too short to see above any crowd), so I usually go for Loge tickets even though my left knee isn't a fan of those stairs. If you get Balcony seats, even if it's Row A, you'll actually be right behind the Upper Loge rows, unless you luck out with the awesome seats right above the center entrance. Main reason I dropped a Star is because while the staff are generally on the ball & helpful, some concert goers will stand in front of stairs or in aisles to take photos while totally blocking my previously awesome view. This is why I usually try to get the front row of the Loge level, because it's easier to see around a railing than a big fat head. Plus, when everyone stands, I always manage to sit behind the lone NBA-sized attendee who also feels the need to raise their arms. (Even when I'm standing in a higher row, they still block tons of my view.) So always get the best seat you can afford!

Like I mentioned earlier, I've been going here pretty much forever, back when you could still go across the street after a concert for a snack at I can't remember if it was a 7-Eleven or something like that, and when there was still an A&W nearby. (Now you'll have to go closer to Powell Street for any food places still open.) The security staff are plentiful & no nonsense, and the same with the rest of the ushers, etc. (Sure, maybe sometimes it seems like they give off the vibe that they view certain crowds like a joke, but I guess that happens when some crowds are younger & less likely to spends big bucks on alcohol.)

Lines for merch can be long, and usually only in the one spot, though I've been to shows where opening bands sometimes had a smaller table on the other side of the center staircase. The staffer at a recent show kind of hurried people along, which did keep the line moving well, but kind of makes you feel rushed (especially with how expensive merch is nowadays). And now they've added the dreaded tip option, so you end up adding 10% to an already exorbitant total for a t-shirt and/or hoodie that they basically just handed to you. Guessing they make hundreds off that at just a single show.

But to end this on a positive note, even though lines are usually long for the Women's restroom, like at pretty much every venue ever (except way, way back when you at least encountered shorter lines at sporting events & the men were the ones queueing up instead), The Warfield at least has a good number of stalls, and there are actually more past the sinks (though it's rare two efficient lines ever form).

So overall, I recommend this venue for concerts, especially if you prefer to be able to see the artists on stage at a good-sized but still pretty intimate venue compared to those arena & stadium monstrosities where you basically pay to watch a...

We went last night to Foil Arms and Hog. The show itself was great, but customer service on front of house, especially box office, was incredibly disappointing. Apparently you have to download an app in order to access your tickets, but if you didn't realize that and don't do that, and you show up with just an email confirmation of your tickets you get harangued by at least three different people at the door asking you why you "couldn't be bothered" to download the app. We were then told that if we couldn't or wouldn't download the app, to go to the box office and they would print out our tickets for us. OK. So we went there, where we got told off once again, three times by the box office attendant for not downloading the app. I was trying to explain that we didn't download the app, that we were currently unable to, and we had been sent to him to print out tickets. He then told us they were going to be six dollars each to print out, which he then said he was going to waive because "it was raining" (?) and then didn't believe me (?) when I gave him the email address attached to the payment of the tickets, so I had to hold up the phone to show him. The entire thing was a complete shambles, I walked away from the box office and into the theater in tears, and all the hassle was completely unnecessary. You shouldn't have to download an app for every single theater that you go to when you have already purchased tickets and you shouldn't be made to feel like a terrible human for not having an app. We were late into the show because of service at the front and the whole experience ruined the first half of the...

This is definitely one of the Bay Area's classic venues, with a stunning mid-century interior that feels like you're stepping into an old opera house. It has charm and character, no doubt. But once the place fills up with a few hundred fans and everyone's on their feet, it gets hot. There's little to no ventilation, and I found myself hoping they'd crack open some doors or have rooftop airflow--it was that stuffy as soon as the lights and music kicked in.

For non-drinkers, water bottles were surprisingly pricey, and the alcoholic drinks were pretty mild, nothing strong. That said, I still had a great time chaperoning the kids to see D4VD and Bryant Barnes--the energy inside was amazing.

Now for the tough part: the location. The venue sits in the heart of San Francisco's Tenderloin district, and parking or walking to and from the venue is not ideal. We parked at the Hilton, about four blocks away, and even then had to walk through streets that didn't feel very safe, especially after 10pm. There were a lot of unhoused individuals on nearly every block, many asking for money or trying to talk to passersby. Definitely keep your safety in mind when attending a show here, especially if you're with younger guests.

All in all, a memorable night--but I'll really have to think twice before attending another concert at...