Brick & Mortar Music Hall

Came here to see Mutemath. Worst concert venue ever. The act started 1.5 hours late on a weekday. People were packed in there and there was absolutely NO air flow. It was so stuffy and hot that I had to leave my place twice to walk toward the door because I was literally about to pass out from the heat. There was a giant fan toward the side they didn’t even bother turning on and when I asked the bartender if it was possible to turn it on, she just gave me attitude and snark saying if she could turn it on she would. 15 minutes later someone turned it on. There are a number of fans on the ceiling. No one bothered turning those on either until the main band started complaining how hot it was (more than 2 hours after we’d been standing around waiting for them). Ridiculous. I couldn’t enjoy the music at all and was happy to leave early. Never coming here again.

Without a doubt, this is my favorite venue in San Francisco, both as an audience member and a performing musician. The staff couldn’t be better for folks on either side of the stage and the location is killer.

I love Brick and Mortar for its intimate vibe and the kinds of crowd it seems to attract. I’ve gone on nights that have been packed and nights that have been light on the crowds, but both experiences were great. If you want to ensure you are getting the best sound you’ll want to position yourself in the center facing the stage– the sound gets a little warped when you are over to the side in the bar area. Points for having an ample amount of seating for this type of venue– it’s nice to be able to take a break from standing in between sets.

I didn’t think I would like this venue. I decided to try a show at Brick and Mortar through
. Max and the Moon played with Satchmode as the opening act. I didn’t like the atmosphere of this venue. and the sound was horrible. It was so loud. even when they were playing random music in between acts, it was too loud. Definitely wear earplugs if you want. They have a bar. It’s not that I don’t like small venues… I really like the Bottom of the Hill experience, but the experience here was off. Least favorite venue in SF.

Nice little venue, but they charge premium pint prices for 12oz plastic cups of beer. I understand wanting to switch to plastic cups once the venue gets crowded, but they should at the very least get cups of equal size.

I bought a beer at the bar. I was drinking the beer, and 3 minutes later, one of the bartenders took my beer away. In response, I told her that half of my beer was taken away. I asked if it is possible to get half of the beer back. She in response laughed in my face, and said: «Once you buy the drink, you are responsible for your it.» Then she called the other bartender, and I told the other bartender the same. The next thing that happened, was that I found myself taken aggressively out by the security guy, like I was a criminal!!!
I never had such an assaulting experience in SF. Those bartenders were on a power trip!!! My friends, who witnessed the whole situation were shocked, and of course left the place too.
I wore the management an a Email a week ago and got no response.

A small intimate venue with reasonably priced tickets. The venue seems to book a good variety of shows. Street parking is easy to find nearby. Mostly standing room only with a few tables in the back of the room. We saw a couple of my favorite artists there recently. One of the nights everything was on time. The next time the tickets said the show started at 8:00 but it turned out the venue did not open until then and opening band started at 9:00. Usually the time printed on the ticket is the time the show starts and most venues open up an hour before the first band goes on. People were confused about this. We rushed over only to wait an extra hour outside. It’s dark in there and better lighting is needed for the merchandise table so you can see what you want to buy. Wine was drinkable and reasonably priced but the margarita I had tasted terrible and the cup was mostly filled with ice. Cold water and cups are available self serve. Better ventilation is needed as it gets hot and stuffy. The worst was the state of the bathroom. Not long after arriving one of the toilets was already plugged, another stall had no toilet paper and another no lock. The toilets were also very dirty and the whole restroom could use a cleaning. Also if you are a group of big and tall guys and you stand right in front of the stage you block everyone’s view. Remember also no matter how drunk you get people are here to see the band and the show is not about you. Try to remember that when taking multiple selfies, dancing crazy and talking loudly with your friends even during an unplugged acoustic song. The artists should not have to tell you to quiet down so they can play. Enjoy the experience of seeing your favorite artists and discovering new artists up close at an affordable price.

I’ve been here a couple times.
Good bands
Small room
Long bar
Drinks are pricey. It’s obvious from the volume of folks they bring in that most of the money is probably made at the bar.
Tickets aren’t so pricey (depending on the bands) which is good if you’re 21+ and abstaining.
There is a cover charge for those underage.
The sound is pretty good.
The room is small.
All of this makes for a room which needs a couple effective wind-​moving cooling devices to keep people from dying of heatstroke. I guess B&M hasn’t figured it out yet. Even when the fans are moving, I’m not sure they are doing anything at all. They kinda look abandoned. You’re going to sweat and your eyes are going to sting and you’re going to overhear way too many stories if you get stuck near the back (which is where everybody is drinking and trying to talk over the music).
In other words, this venue will test your love of whatever particular band you’re seeing. If you can deal with breathing all the evaporating sweat of your suffering music-​comrades, you’ll be able to see and hear a good bit of good music. Otherwise, if you want to be comfortable, don’t see popular bands here.

Small, cozy venue and they seem to book some good talent. Also street parking is free and easy, yay! That being said:
1) I echo the points about it being crazy hot and unventillated in there.
2) A draft beer is much smaller than even 12 ounces.
3) They don’t honor the Unilocal coupon. I got some bogus sounding story that Unilocal created that coupon out of thin air. Way to take back a dollar, people.

No one will stay for for music if you lose half of them to heat stroke. Get a proper fan and ventilation system. Totally ruins the night.

Saw The Drums at this venue! Amaaaazing. Love the sound. There was like a long wait before the band started though. I think they had some technical difficulties or something. People started going crazy in the middle of their set. The place is small and intimate which I liked! It was SUPER HOT and the air was suffocating though! But I still love this place. Street parking as usual.

This place has a great atmosphere and I thoroughly enjoyed the show I went to, however I am extremely disappointed in their management.
I left my jacket in the corner and didn’t realize it until I was already halfway home. I went on the website and emailed their office that night asking if they had found it to please let me know. The next day I called the number on the website during business hours but nobody answered and there is no answering machine. I continued to call sporadically for the next 2 days with no answer. There was no response on my email either.
Finally, I get ahold of an employee 3 days later and I couldn’t believe how rude he was. He acted super inconvenienced and said «This is a club, I don’t have time to go look for a jacket» and then acted like we were getting cut off. I asked again and he sighed loudly and then said in the most annoyed voice ever, «No, we don’t have your jacket». I doubt he even looked. I’ve never been more offended by an employee and I don’t get offended easily.
Moral of the story, don’t lose your jacket here because the staff are jerks.

Great low key, no frills, grungy yet clean music hall. Reminds me of my youth watching punk/​indie bands on the reg. This is the kind of place where if a band does play here, most will not know them. The kind of place where the band is still trying to make a name for themselves with maybe just has a handful of fans.
Now what this brings is this:
— very cheap shows. Like 10 – 15 dolla cheap. Try doing that at the Shoreline, haha.
— very intimate shows where the performers are engaged with their audience. Lots of story telling and direct interaction. Once again, try that at Shoreline.
— cheapish strong drinks. The drinks here are dive bar strength, and that’s coming from me.
— very cool crowds. Not many are mainstream swimmers. Watch a show at Shoreline and you’re just part of the herd.
Great place to delve into the music scene, with an SF vibe. Maybe just a tad smaller than say Bimbo’s but way less ornate/​cool. A poor man’s Bimbo’s, if you will.

We thought it’d be a nice little venue to see the Monophonics play, until the drink my girlfriend had made her sick. She spent about an hour in the loo throwing up after one gin and tonic. We had eaten the same things earlier, so it wasn’t that. Either they spiked her drink (unlikely), or someone didn’t wash after wiping their ass (likely).
Which would’ve been fine if the staff had responded to us with some concern about making sure this never happens again… But the condescension, asshole nature of their responses means this isn’t the first time they’ve experienced this, and that they have a predetermined response to guests who are sickened by their hygiene and/​or staff problems.
Steer clear. And read their response to this carefully… It’ll say more about Brick and Mortar than I ever could.

Cool little venue. A little hot, but that’s to be expected when things get crowded.
Good beers for good prices. Seen a few shows here that rocked.
Only downside is the bouncer. He actually is always fine to me but literally blows up in people’s faces for no reason. It’s pretty weird.

Intimate and cozy concert venue! Great place to see the bands you love up close and personal for an affordable price. Bar service is quick and delicious and usually never a bathroom line. The only thing you can’t avoid here, like any music venue, are annoying people taking during a show. Just ignore/​avoid those sound killers and you’ll have a blast here!

Came here for supporting my friend’s friend’s band. It was a pretty decent sized-​cozy venue for listening to aspiring artists.
It’s great that there is a place in the mission with a smaller intimate vibe and seats, however, I’m not too fond of coming into this area.

A small and cozy music hall with a stage you can almost touch the performers and cozy side-​bar. The place almost seems more like a dance hall mixed with the intimacy of a small stage, which probably makes it a little awkward.
I had come on a Wednesday night to see Andrew Belle and Sugar + the Hi-​Lows. I was pretty unfamiliar with the artists but I had wanted to check out a local concert while I was back in town. The drink selection at the bar is pretty limited – basic beers on tap and bottles. They also have some special cocktails/​mixed drinks which people seemed to enjoy. But for a small bar, I just went with a Guinness.
I went up front to the stage right by the speaker, and it was nice being up close and personal with the artists. The entire room is dark and intimate, with everyone seeing everyone and standing close to each other (with VERY few seating in the back and four-​five small tables – thus the dance hall vibe). It was fun being able to be up close and personal with the artists because, at one point, I was able to sit along the side of the stage with the artist! Also, there was a girl next to me totally feeling and dancing to the music in ritualistic waves – you go girl! (But everyone saw her…)
The merch was being sold right by the dressing room that is located right beside the stage – not much privacy. It was just all up on a makeshift table.
The bathrooms are nice and have a nice edge to them with stickers and posters plastered all over the walls. Definitely has history and character, which I liked. Definitely grungy though.
Employees seemed like they were just doing their jobs – the two employees taking up tickets at front seemed annoyed at the under 21 rule that you can still get in as long as you are 18 but you have to buy a refreshment ticket. (21+ club, but if you’re under 21 but over 18, have to buy a drink.) Kind of a hassle to deal with but smart way to get kids in and still get their money as if they were gonna buy a drink.
I was able to meet with the openers after and chat a bit, as well as buy some merch (I actually fell in love with Sugar + the Hi Lows – opener – moreso than the main act!).
Decent intimate venue though, but not the most luxurious or catering environment.

Looking for that dark, mysterious, yet intimate concert venue you know from Guitar Hero? Okay, that’s a lame opening line. And it makes me look like a geek. In fact, I’ve only played The Smashing Pumpkins on GH3 once in my life but it was such a memorable experience that I’ve always wanted to go to one of these venues in person.
Luckily, the wonderful city of San Francisco is blessed with many great venues for live music and The Brick & Mortar Music Hall must be one of my favorites. It’s basically just one large room with a bar, lounge chairs, and a stage. That’s it. It can only be more intimate in your own living room. Most importantly, the sound is surprisingly good.
PS: My actual concert was Blood Red Shoes in May 2014. The fact that this UK duo performs in front of 40.000 people at festivals and then plays an almost exclusive set for 100 people in this small venue is just amazing. San Francisco, thank you.

Maybe it’s just because I saw an amazing artist here, but this is by far my favorite venue in SF.
Nneka performed here, and she was beyond fantastic. She played a lot of acoustic versions of her songs and her voice was just so soulful & beautiful. anyway, back to the venue. This place is about the size of a big bar. That plus the raised stage — you can’t be more than 20 feet away from the performer. Plus, it didn’t get too crowded, and the bar’s all along the side (rather than at the very back) so drinks were easily accessible =).