Best Oldies Music Bars In San Francisco
While there are plenty of Bay Area residents who love music from their generation, it is not always an easy task to find a hangout spot where one can listen to oldies music. Encompassing everything from rock and pop to soul and disco, oldies music now spans decades and has mass appeal across many genres. The Bay Area is home to a number of spots with both oldies live music, as well as an unlimited supply of songs via jukebox. Below is a selection of area bars where customers can groove and sway to tunes from a bygone era.
3223 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 550-6994
www.theknockoutsf.com
Located in the Mission, The Knockout is a wonderfully approachable dive bar with mass appeal. Locals of diverse ages flock to The Knockout for its affordable drinks, frequent live shows and many and varied theme nights. Of special appeal to those looking for oldies night options, check out The Knockout's Teenage Dance Craze on the last Friday night each month. Teenage Dance Craze nights feature the best of the 50s and 60s including pop, surf, soul and rockabilly tunes. Also worth a spin are the regular first and third Friday night monthly Oldies Nights with DJ Primo, and every Thursday's bingo night.
3225 22nd St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 647-2888
www.makeoutroom.com
Another Mission favorite, the Make-Out Room sports a small stage and dance floor for those looking to bust a move. With a variety of both live acts and DJ spun tunes, the Make-Out Room is always popular for late night dancing. Oldies theme nights change regularly, and range from 60s and 70s soul, funk and disco to 70s dub reggae and vintage ska. The bar is cash only so make sure to swing by the ATM before heading over.
2071 First St.
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 447-3293
Nestled on First Street in the heart of downtown Livermore, the V & E Club has a decades-long tradition of being a favorite hangout for locals. Originally founded by a pair of brothers, this dive bar is known around town for its dimly lit 70s interior and unpretentious friendly faces. The fully loaded jukebox provides access to every sort of music imaginable, and patrons are able to play tunes from their favorite oldies decades. The V & E Club is cash only.
11922 Main St.
Sunol, CA 94586
(925) 862-0821
www.boscosbonesandbrew.com
Just off Niles Canyon Road next to the Sunol Event Center, Bosco's Bones and Brew is a combination saloon and Italian-American restaurant. With an old west style façade and 1800s décor, Bosco's transports its patrons back to another era. Every Saturday night, the bar features live music that includes a diverse range of styles ranging from 60s and 70s to rock and roll and country. Most shows start at 8 p.m. Alternatively, check out Tuesday and Friday night karaoke nights where customers can provide the oldies tunes themselves.
1845 First St.
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 447-5311
Another of Livermore's First Street fixtures, Polomoni's Bar and Cocktail Lounge is a neighborhood dive bar with a down-home atmosphere. Customers at Polomoni's can enjoy a fully loaded jukebox with hits from bygone eras, as well as the occasional live music gig. The bar is one of California's last vestiges of bars where smoking indoors is still permitted and this feature simultaneously attracts and repels certain clientele. Like many area no-frills bars, Polomoni's is cash only, and it has an indoor ATM. The friendly staff and affordable stiff drinks make for many devoted regulars.