Café Royale
Venue: Café Royale
Time: 7-9:30, Jul 15, 2012
Homepage: http://www.caferoyale-sf.com/
Address: 800 post st @ leavenworth, san francisco, ca, 94109, us
One of our favorite places to play: a tiny hole-in-the-wall in the “Tendernob” — a neighborhood bar in an area you don’t usually think of as a neighborhood, just a bunch of blocks you drive through to get to or from downtown. But you walk in, are greeted warmly by the bartender and get a friendly nod from the people shooting pool — it’s like a more convivial living room than many of the neighbors might have in their own apartments. They have great beers, fine wines, and so-so food (but there’s plenty of terrific restaurants a block or two in any direction). And their entertainment calendar reflects the owners’ actual tastes, not just trying to cash in on current trends — where else can you hear the free jazz improvisations of Phillip Greenlief’s Lost Trio, the soulfully out-of-fashion country ballads of Maurice Tani’s El Deora 77, or … well, us?
A lot of us DO think of it as a neighborhood. When I get too old to drive I plan to move into that area, collect my Social Security, and play music on the streets. I absolutely LOVE the area. So much going on, so many fascinating places to see! And yes, it’s quite a neighborhood. In fact, the Exit Theater has a show called “Tenderloin” all about the TL as a community.