Great American Music Hall, Concert venue in San Francisco, United States
Great American Music Hall is a concert venue in San Francisco, California, United States, designed in Victorian style and holding about 650 people. The interior displays carved balconies, Corinthian columns, gold leaf, chandeliers, frescoes, and detailed woodwork that give the space a theatrical character.
After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Chris Buckley opened Blanco's Café at this address, which later served as a dance hall and restaurant. Sally Rand transformed it into a burlesque theater in 1936, before it became a concert hall in the mid-1970s and hosted performances by musicians such as Duke Ellington and many others.
The name reflects the building's role as a home for live performances that span every genre of American music. Visitors today experience an inclusive space where jazz groups perform alongside indie bands, folk singers, and electronic acts in a setting that celebrates the city's open musical spirit.
The hall maintains a website with a calendar where visitors can buy tickets in advance, check show dates, and browse merchandise. The location near O'Farrell Street in the Tenderloin makes it easy to reach by public transit or on foot from other parts of downtown.
Duke Ellington's original dressing room remains intact with his name still on the door. This small space recalls the many well-known artists who performed here over the decades and gave the hall a special musical memory.
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