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Annie's Social Club - CLOSED
Categories: Nightlife Bars Nightlife Karaoke Arts & Entertainment Music Venues Nightlife Music Venues Bars, Karaoke, Music Venues [Edit]
917 Folsom St(between 5th St & Falmouth St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
Neighborhood: SOMA
(415) 974-1585
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
139 reviews for Annie's Social Club
Review Highlights
"Punk rock band King Loses Crown - check."
(in 16 reviews)
"You know the best thing about Brit Pop."
(in 10 reviews)
"Love the B&W film photo booth here."
(in 10 reviews)
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139 reviews in English
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Review from John L.
Claremont, CA
11/12/2011
One of my favorite venues in SF. There is normally parking within 2-3 blocks, which isn't bad at all considering soma. They have a lot of good bands playing there, and the stage/room size is just about right. For a small venue, the sound system is pretty good. It has a nice "dive bar" vibe that I love. The drinks are cheap and the bartenders are friendly. It's everything you would want from a punk rock bar in SF.
Edit: I wrote this review before it was closed. RIP Annies. You are missed! -
Review from Ben A.
Folsom, CA
6/8/2011
I went to a few live shows / club nights here over the years and really just remember it being really small and typically having huge sound system issues. I think "Meh. I've experienced better" kinda sums up my feelings on this venue.
I was last there in late 2008 when a band I was in played a show there. It was okay in this instance though even with a small turnout for the gig, it seemed overly crowded inside.
I think it probably served better as a corner bar to go get drinks at rather than a live show venue. -
Review from Rachel G.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2009
Last Friday night I straightened my blonde, highlighted hair. Like a good Marina girl.
Last Friday night I tucked my skinny Hudson's into my slouchy black boots. Like a good Marina girl.
Last Friday night I put on gold hoop earrings and a long gold necklace. Like a good Marina girl.
Last Friday I went to Annie's Social Club for a friend's birthday party. Like a good Marina girl?
No. LIke a Marina girl out of place amongst the tattooed and pierced.
Last Friday I sang Killing Me Softly and Like a Prayer to a packed house of hipsters at Annie's Social Club. Like a good Marina girl.
Last Friday, I drank way too much top shelf vodka and ate a really disgusting piece of pizza at 3am. Like a good Marina girl.
Last Saturday morning, I puked my guts up and didn't have to go the gym. Like a good Marina girl.
The transformation is almost complete.
Look out Daily Method. I'm coming for you next. -
Review from Suge K.
San Francisco, CA
11/20/2006
Back in high school, one of my friends drove this Chrysler New Yorker. It was great - he'd pick a whole bunch of us up and we'd go out drinking and then end up doing donuts in the snow in some cul-de-sac. It was a great car - super comfortable, fit a lot of people, it talked to you (you know "a door is ajar"). The problem with it was that we over-used it and the speakers were blown and anything you played sounded like shit.
That pretty much sums up Annie's. I was there the other night and the DJ was playing fantastic music (though I was wishing the entire time that he'd put his shirt back on). Seriously great music, obscure stuff you don't hear anywhere - old garage, soul, R&B. But it made my ears bleed because the bass was up way too high and everything coming out sounded muffled.
It was quite a shame too because everything else was perfect. Everyone who works there is really nice (one of the doormen complimented me on my necklace one night), the bartenders are fast as lighting and really friendly, the crowd is not annoying.
This place would be rated much higher if the sound weren't so shitty.Listed in: I am a dirty old woman
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Review from Jason K.
San Francisco, CA
3/11/2007
Karaoke, my bitches!
I will make your ass shake with my Shatner-inspired spoken word interpretation of "Take Your Mama". Behold the awesomeness as I croon like a screaching pubescent when I hit the high notes of "Wild Wild Life".
PS: To the table of women who shouted out "You're Hot!". Thanks for making my day! (Or were you just concerned about my profuse sweating?) -
Review from Autumn K.
7/10/2007
If you know me even just a little, you will not be surprised to learn that Tuesday morning at 1:30 a.m. found me rocking out to karaoke at Annie's. With a big group of rowdies and a mean case of regret for not showing up here for Leisure on Saturday like I told a bunch of people I would. If you are one of the people I flaked on, accept my deepest apologies. Next time drinks are on me. Maybe.
Monday night is apparently karaoke in these parts. I am sorry to say that while fairly entertaining, this karaoke night doesn't measure up to Glen's karaoke Tuesdays at Amnesia or Saturdays at Napper. That's the damn truth and you heard it here first.
On the upside, the bartender is HOT. Like HOTT. HAWT. However you spell it when you're trying to convey the idea that someone is so hot, you just want to drink enough to make some bad decisions. Drinks are cheapy and strong enough to give you the courage to sing your tone deaf heart out in front of a bunch of drunk strangers. The bathrooms are a freak show of lights and mirrors or maybe my eyes were just really sensitive after a night spent in dark bars. There was ample parking when we cruised up around 11 but you should probably take a cab if you're going to be out drinking all night.
James J also does Leisure here on some Saturday of the month but that's an entirely different review soon to follow. You should really go to that too. Because he's also pretty hot. Hott. Hawt. -
Review from Nancy R.
San Francisco, CA
7/8/2007
I remember this place from back in the day when it was Covered Wagon. Gasp! I've just dated myself. Not dated as in Love Connection, but aged. You get my drift.
I can't judge the establishment on its merits, but rather on its monthly "Leisure" or Britpop nights. The DJ was everything the Dogs Bollicks DJ could only dream of after attending DJ school for like 20 years. Copious amounts of Joy Division, New Order, the Stones, Stone Roses, Pulp, the Cure, The Smiths -- every British band my anglophile heart desired. Lots of tasty eye candy and a karaoke room in the back. It's like a cruise, only for hipsters.
And I saw Lelaina Pierce tearing it up with her crew. I only deducted one star for failing to play My Sharona. But my heart probably would have imploded from happiness.Listed in: My Neighbors Think I'm a…
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Review from Jason C.
El Cerrito, CA
11/21/2008 7 photos
As far as bar/clubs go, the gothic/trip hop/ambience scene is in full effect @ Annie's SC. I have to say I was smitten by the trip hop, catered sushi, and friendly folks that enjoyed creeping on the dance floor with yours truly. Aside from the fact that there is a pathetic coverage charge after 10pm, a little bargaining with "L" will get you a long way. Add to the fact that it's cash only and you'll even end up saving if you've set a limit on the ATM.
Nice touch. I wouldn't change a thing here, except for parking.Listed in: The Local Bar mix
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Review from Pamela D.
2/3/2008
If I were a dinosaur, I would be called a "metalsaurus" and Annie's Social Club would be my natural habitat. I would find nourishment in delicious $3 PBR on tap and my prey would be stinky men with dredlocks.
Annie's is like a wet dream for me. A giant bar with bartenders that are actually nice! And fast! Remember that song from Dirty Dancing, "She's Like the Wind"? These bartenders are like the wind! Crazy fast!
Awesome bands often play here, and while the actual area where the crowd stands is pretty small, the sound is always good.
Not everyone is a metalsaurus, I've realized. In fact I am dating a strange specimen called a "karaokedactyl." Fellow karaokedactyls may take comfort in the fact that Annie's actually has a karaoke room! This may seem uninteresting, but it often becomes much more interesting after you've had about 5 drinks and are bored and rowdy in between bands.Listed in: The Hobbyist
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Review from Peter L.
10/19/2009
The rooms with a stage makes it more than a bar. It's dark and divy though the vibe is cool goth/punk/metal. The bar is big and is to the right immediately after entry. The front room to the left has a big stage and there was a smaller room with another stage in the back. There is a curved couch and table right outside the bathrooms. Odd but it's useful if the place gets crowded, which it was not on a Sunday night.
Went here for something called "Bakchoo Comedy & Comics with Will Franken" which was basically a comedy show. It was organized by the very funny Amir Malekpour (http://amircat.com). It was unique, with regular standups, with some comics that kind of have props, and with a comic artist, Lev Yilmaz (http://ingredientx.com), who showed a video of his drawn comedy. Lots of polite laughter, though there were a few LOLs. The headliner, Will Franken (http://willfranken.com), had a stream-of-consciousness riff going, but that was on purpose I think. More hits than misses but his jokes were flying.
Overall, not sure if this a one-time event or a weekly/monthly thing. Will need to return on free open-mic comedy Tuesdays. Near the corner of 5th and Folsom streets so lots of parking, but then again it was a Sunday night. Not too much going on in the area, though there are a couple of restaurants around the block. -
Review from Thomas B.
San Francisco, CA
2/17/2007
Well, I think this place is just swell. I had come here to witness my friends' band "Cult of Sue Todd," who remind me vaguely of a lo-fi Pixies fronted by Bruce Campbell.
Let's hear it for a joint painted in all red and white, with dusty chandeliers hanging over the bar with rubber snakes zig-zagging through the plastic crystals. Exactly the sort of place I could imagine lazy-ass vampire slackers hanging about in, the kind of vampires who would much rather knock off a blood bank than to actually, you know, go out and KILL something.
Let's hear it for the velvet paintings of nekkid ladies! (OMG, and ELVIS! With the tear falling from his left eye!)
Let's hear if for the black and white photo booth in the corner! I simply cannot get enough of cramming into booths with three or four or five people all trying to get into the picture!
Let's hear it for the little stage in the other room that affords you the chance to stand right next to the musicians and, quite possible, get whacked in the head by an over-zealous guitar neck or a mike stand thrown about by the Siouxsie Sioux-inspired chanteuse with the ripped fishnets and the tutu. (I have heard that there is karaoke here too, but I did not do that. Frankly, I like karaoke, but I hardly ever do it. My timbre does not allow me to do much else but a fairly decent Nick Cave.)
Let's hear it for getting drunk! Annie pours good drinks! And, for happy hour, you can get your PBR/Jack Daniels on for only five dollars!
The bathroom reeked, though. I breathed through my mouth, but could still smell the foulness in the back of my throat. YUCK.
Good place! I'll be back, just like the Governor. -
Review from Jeremy W.
San Francisco, CA
8/26/2006
The most-inclusive karaoke dive in all of The City. More than enough Punk and New Wave songs here, as well as plenty of "oldies" to satisfy the most John Hughes-movie-informed "singers". And Annie's has the dishiest KJ. The redhead. A total dish.
If you see me here on any night, know that you'll have some competition for best version of the theme from Xanadu. And if Leisure is happening and you have designs on The Killing Moon, pick some other song that you heard for the first time on the Donnie Darko soundtrack. Echo And The Bunnymen, them's mine.
Anybody who has a lousy time here, were you a lousy tipper? Seriously, a buck a song is expected anyplace. And could there be a more thankless task than dealing with tone-deaf, dipsomaniac attention whores all night? I mean, that's what a KJ does.
I hear they have bands here too, but, speaking as a dipsomanic attention whore who was blessed with a lovely low tenor singing voice, "pass the Mic, yo".Listed in: The Piano Has Been Drinking, Pass The Mic!
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Review from donna v.
San Francisco, CA
3/4/2007
This venue has always been a dank, dirty little place and it's great! It really hasn't changed much since it's Covered Wagon days except for the red and black paint and chandeliers.
I've seen some great shows here and they usually draw a pretty cool, mixed crowd. Bar service always seems to be quick even when it's 5-6 people deep. -
Review from Chloe S.
San Francisco, CA
10/16/2006
I hate that this bar sucks to get to, but I do always meet a nice homeless man willing to hail me a cab or walk me to my next destination. That is service! It's really a shame that everyone with manners happens to also smell like pee, but hey, can't say I'm a fan of showers myself.
Anyway, Annie's hires fine bartenders that apparently think it's a crime to make a patron wait more than 2 minutes for a drink. I definitely appreciate this, but also have to admit that it's a little weird. Not exactly an "overzealous" quality, because, well, getting drunker faster never equals bad in my book, so perhaps I'm just unused to fantastic service.
The night of the Spits show serves as a fabulous example of an action-packed, super fun night at Annie's. With karaoke in one room and awesome punk rock in the other, you really can't lose. Watching Joanna and Jessi perform "I'm going Hungry," by Temple of the Dog, almost brought me to early 90s tears (perhaps Joanna's clever use of my jacket and her Eddie Vedder-affected gestures assisted this emotional display, perhaps) and the awesomeness of the Spits really sealed the deal. Plus Jimmy Hollywood bought me shots all night, so clearly I was in heaven.
Anyway, if you're around the neighborhood (yeah, I dunno), I definitely recommend stopping in for an lightning fast drink, or 27.Listed in: I'm like a chocoholic, but…
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Review from Amy W.
11/26/2006
I went to leisure last night ... my first time to Annie's Social club.... my word! I had soooooo much fun. Leisure is Britpop night .. my favorite music in a club filled with beautiful men and women. Everyone dancing their little socks off in wild abandon. I was expecting the club to be dark and dirty but actually the space was surprising.
The bar staff are brilliant! Speedy peeps... the restrooms leave something to be desired but i wasnt expecting anything more really.
There is karaoke out the back (WTF!!!) ... which i didnt get involved in but it sounded very funny.
Im still jumping up and down in my mind ... singing my little heart out thrilled that there is a night in San Francisco that reminds me so much of university ...
Oh and did i mention the talent ??? so many cute guys!
Oh ... and one more thing .. even though he is obsessed with Oasis James is a pretty great DJ ;o) -
Review from Kevin H.
Lake Dallas, TX
7/26/2007
Annie's Social Club will (I can only hope) become a San Francisco institution! (Not the bad, "mental institution" kind of institution...more like the "iconic" kind of institution.) This place has had so many good bands, that I don't even know where to start a list. (I will say they specifically approached The Marked Men about playing there on their last tour, and that show beat my ass down...in a good way!) Annie's treats their bands well, so that the good ones keep coming back.
Yeah, maybe it's not the biggest place in the world, or the fanciest, but the bartenders are nice, fast, and pour strong drinks. The music is good so long as you're not allergic to rock'n'roll, and yeah...maybe music isn't always mixed the best, but it's as good or better than almost any similar sized venue in the city (except for maybe that tiny, padded room in the back of the Hemlock.)
Also, most of the patrons are really nice (I've always had this crazy theory that when the people who WORK at a place are friendly, they attract a friendly crowd, and when people who work there are jerks...well...you can figure it out.)
I can't comment on the "karaoke room", 'cuz I've never been back there...but if it's your thing, hey...go nuts! -
Review from Rhoda G.
9/30/2009
I came here on Tuesday night with Aaron for open mic comedy night. When we first entered the club, we thought the comedy event was cancelled. No one was on the main stage and a motorcycle was parked where a crowd would be standing at. We were about an hour late, so I thought it was finished. I asked the bartender if open mic comedy night was going to happen tonight and she told me it's in the back room. Sure, enough it was still going.
We got a couple of beers ($4 a pint) and parked ourselves along the wall. A lot of the comedians were testing and practicing new material because they were holding notes and recording themselves. I even recognized some of the comedians when I went to the Purple Onion a month or so ago. If you are starting out, this place is great because no one is going to heckle you because you are surrounded by your fellow comedians and their friends. The worst thing can happen to you is that no one will laugh at your act.
If you want to check out free comedy, come to Annie's on Tuesday night.
Took public transportation: Caltrain to SF 4th and King. -
Review from Drue C.
San Francisco, CA
2/15/2007
I have mixed feelings about this place.
Circa 1999 - I remember moshing to various punk bands and drinking cheap drinks, while scantily clad big beautiful women walked the catwalk and danced on the bar. That was when this place was the Covered Wagon. I am sad enough about its demise that I cannot possibly give this place super high marks.
Fast forward a few years, after the wounds had healed, and I found myself at the new Cherry Bar with one of my hot lesbian friends. A pool table had taken the place of the catwalk and the place seemed cleaner (which is not necessarily a good thing here). The music that night was more Lilith Fairesque than punk, which sucked. So that was my last visit to the bar formerly known as Covered Wagon. I did however, get asked out by more women in one night than I think I have by men in my entire life...too bad I am not into the ladies, I would be hooking up all of the time!!
Now we have Annies Social Club. It is a karaoke bar/live music venue. Live music makes sense in this space. The karaoke, well, not so much. Apparently I am in the minority in thinking that this just doesn't feel like a karaoke venue....but , in fairness, I might be a little attached to the history of this place. -
Review from Steve S.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2006
I have to say i'm a little disappointed with the karaoke being in a seperate room. you feel a disconnect with the rest of the bar, and its really weird when you walk from the karaoke room to get a drink. kind of a surreal move between worlds.
that said, i otherwise really like the space here, and i will most definitely be back.Listed in: For those about to roke...
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Review from Jin D.
San Francisco, CA
7/22/2009
A fun atmosphere
For drunken karaoke
Annie's Social Club
_____
I've been here a few times now and I love it. They have main stage karaoke on Monday night, which unfortunately might not be around for much longer, but it is a blast. Their machine is kind of jacked up for some reason and skips beats randomly, but you will hardly notice or care after a few drinks, and at least it gives you something to blame for your poor singing. Besides, it kind of adds to the environment.
What I love about Annie's SC and what I think sets it apart from all the other seedy bars in the neighborhood is its character. If Annie's Social Club were a person, she's be a Punk Rock Girl with spikey hair, obscure tattoos, and enigmatic piercings. Not someone to take home to the parents, but boy is she fun for those hot and crazy nights you need in your life. -
Review from Gretchen T.
San Francisco, CA
12/5/2006
I liked the old Annie's and I liked the old C.W., so I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised when I walked in to Annie's last weekend to check out a local hard core band and had a really good time.
There is the nostalgic pool table where the Stinky's Peep Show girls used to undulate, there's the bartender (owner?) who used to work at Kilowatt, and there is the stage and red lighting--all a blend of familiar faces and features that make me love this city so much. Things change and yet stay the same, etc.
5 stars for being pretty cheap, having quick bar service with guys who remember your drink, good bands, and a cute-as-a-button drunk girl in the bathroom that serenaded me while I urinated.Listed in: Boogie Nights
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Review from phil h.
3/11/2007
Not much has changed since the Covered Wagon days but that's not a bad thing. I had a great time here last Friday night, first watching local band the Slits then checking out some karaoke-sorry Stan but I was definitely not drunk enough to sing Girls Girls Girls. Maybe if you signed me up for some Guns and Roses instead.
Cool crowd, good drinks, I'll definitely be back. -
Review from Tracy H.
Dublin, CA
6/28/2007
I am so uncool.
If only I was 30 pounds lighter and wore vintage, polyester, paisley dresses over a pair of skinny jeans, cut my hair into that mullet cut that all the girls have nowadays, wore any-color-but-black plastic frame glasses, and knew all the lyrics to every British song ever. Then I would be cool.
But after a few mighty strong drinks in the karaoke room and a sing-a-long session with Beck, Muse, and the Scissor Sisters, I emerge back onto the dance floor feeling all sorts of awesome.
PS - The way people dance here TOTALLY reminds me of the old Charlie Brown cartoons - http://www.youtube.com... -
Review from Alita M.
San Francisco, CA
8/28/2008
Semiconductors, my friend's musical enterprise, performed here last night and we had a small, private-ish get together of his friends there to cheer him on.
The bouncer/doorman - so very nice and polite. Also thanked me for having exact cover charge change.
The bartender was even more so impressive - every drink was perfectly heavy. I felt so bad because I was talking to my friend and in getting sidetracked, forgot to tip him first round on accident. Don't worry! I made sure to give him a heavy tip and apologized for my temporary lapse in manners.
Good feel and lots of room, it's also rumoured they have a good British rock night here that I'll have to come back for. Overall, definitely a fan now. -
Review from Eric T.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2009
Now don't get me wrong, I have an extremely open mind. Sure I don't fit the steretype of a hipster/goth/whatever, I guess i'm just your average guy. So when I came here with a bunch of friends, I was pretty interested by what I saw and observed.
Out of a hundred maybe more people in the club, my ten friends (including myself) were the only people in there wearing button up colored dress shirts. Yup, everyone was wearing some sort of black garment and not drinking beer. Boy did we stand out, we attempted to make the most out of it, we did hip hop on karaoke while no one clapped or sang along, we pounded beers and attempted to have people join in. Nothing, no reception, very odd sense that I was in some sort of a vampire movie.
Tips and Pointers:
-Don't wear J.Crew colored button down shirts
-Don't wear boat shoes
-Cover is $5
-Beer is plentiful, because apparently thats not what's popular here
-Hip Hop is not welcome
-Be a hipster
[APPROVED FOR HIPSTERS!] -
Review from Mariah M.
Anchorage, AK
1/14/2009
Annie's rocks my little world. In a city where it's very difficult to find good karaoke (suck it, Mint), Annie's has everything I want and need when it's time to sing my heart out. Now, let me put you straight here - I am not looking for a venue that takes singing seriously, or even worse, where the singers take themselves seriously. Please give me cheesy, guilty pleasure songs, and give me a room full of drunken hipsters singing along because they totally know all the words to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" by heart. This is where I am happiest, and this is what I get at Annie's Social Club.
Eileen and Reby Rae are perhaps the most badass KJs I have come across in all my karaoke travels. The rotation is always fair (so important), and the song selection, though not astoundingly huge, is a good one. They call it "Punk Rock n' Schlock Karaoke" and there is a good bit of both of those genres to choose from. The bar itself is not so much a dive bar as it is a bar that looks like a dive bar. I'm not saying that Annie's is posing by any means - it's more like a big scary biker who carries a teddy bear around with him. I am a tiny, white, middle class chick with no visible tattoos or interesting piercings, and I always feel comfortable here.
So, if you want to blast out some Bowie or Bonnie Tyler, head down to Annie's on Friday or Saturday night (or main stage on Monday!), get yourself in the door, and grab a beer on your way to the back of the joint. Go through the mysterious door directly to your right, and find yourself immersed in some of the best karaoke in San Francisco. -
Review from Gabrielle J.
San Francisco, CA
7/31/2009
Definitely not my standard bar selection- but a friend's friend's band was playing here last night so we showed up to support.
Way, way cool place. I don't know if it was a special night, but never have I received so much female attention!
Attentive and chill bartenders, good music, and a pool table! All big pluses in my book.
Will be back for some more lovin! -
Review from Perry S.
San Francisco, CA
7/8/2007
Oh it's like back in the old days when I was dancing to Boys Don't Cry and raised my hands punching the air. I LOVE Leisure! The crowd was fun. We were all just dancing without having some grease balls trying to grind my ass from behind.
Tired from dancing, my friends and I headed to the karaoke room where one of my friends poured her heart out to Possum Kingdom while we were cheering on the back. Note: drink a lot of alcohol before you do this. It sounds better and the wait could be a while anyway.
The only bad thing, toward the end of the night the dance floor was just covered with drinks and it was gross and sticky. That floor wasn't dance-able by the end of the night.
At the end, it was a good night. The service was good and they had coat check for $2, just check in your coats altogether and it's still $2. Damn we forgot to do photobooth!
Oh, I also learned a very important lesson that night, not to drink PBR cause they taste like shit. Wait, even shit probably has more taste.
And one more thing, I ran into Nancy R. who was a killah on the dance floor. Too bad we didn't dance to My Sharona. -
Review from Lynsey C.
San Francisco, CA
3/23/2009
So...apparently people still "mosh?" Yeah, they do at Annie's Social Club. I was surprised too...although I don't make it out to many punk, metal or hardcore rock shows so what do I know.
I went to see "Arnocorps" with a gal pal on Saturday evening. She intrigued me with tales of a band that produced all Gover-nator themed songs. Seriously, every song is inspired by one of Ah-nold's movies. The lead singer speaks with an Arnold accent, the fans wear camo face paint and the bassist surfs the crowd a-top his guitar case. It was worth the ten bones entrance fee! The other earlier bands were great too...I'm sorry I didn't get their names.
Long story short, this is a good spot to see a show like Arnocorps...it's edgy, punk and loud but without making newcomers and hard-rock rookies like myself uncomfortable.
Kudos to their bartender (blond friendly gal) who made me an awesome drink when I couldn't make up my mind...I'm still not sure what it was...vodka, ginger ale, bitters??? Whatever it was, it was delicious and I didn't get a hangover! Yippee. Make friends with her people, and tip her generously!
Lastly, it was easy to find a cab out front...even on a rainy night at 2am...I'll be back Annie, but this time I'll be prepared in my leather and eyeliner!
P.S. again...lost stars for cash only. It just bugs... -
Review from Ted P.
San Francisco, CA
11/5/2007 7 photos
It's my home away from home!
First off, it's a live music venue WITH karaoke. It's not a karaoke bar anymore as it was at the Boardman location. As a matter of fact, it never was a karaoke bar to begin with. It was originally a bar WITH karaoke (and that was only on Tuesday and Saturday at the old locale).
Karaoke at the Social Club is free on Monday's and it's in the main room. On Friday's and Saturday's, it's in the backroom "parlor" and there is a cover. People, the cover is there for the benefit of the bands that are playing. Don't be stingy.
As for the music, it ranges on the night. Usually it's Punk, metal, garage, rock-a-billy, country or pop. Dance nights are the begining of the month with the kids from Leisure. No rap, trance or whatever...it's a rock venue.
Many years ago, the place was called the Covered Wagon Saloon (I actually first saw Nirvana on the stage there in the early 90s). It was later called the Cherry Bar, but now as Annie's Social Club, it's bringing back the old spirit of the CW with a different twist.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Corey H.
Jamaica Plain, MA
3/20/2007
Best karaoke that I've ever witnessed. Great space, great style. It's one of those places that you just fall in love with. Then you keep going back. Again aaaand again aaaand again.
I'm so doing "take yr mama" next time just to see if I can do it better than jason K.
I don't think I can.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Kym L.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2008
First off, I really, really wish people would stop posting about venues/clubs/bars and complaining they they charge cover.
What do you expect from a place that happens to have live music and/or club nights? To get in for free? No. The bands,promoters, and venue have to make money, too. So bypass that one extra drink (that you probably don't need anyway), quitcherbitchin, and pay the friggin' $5-$12.
That aside, I've been frequenting Annie's for a bit now, and I adore the place. I've caught a few really awesome, unexpected bands there and have been introduced to music I never otherwise would have. The covers are usually fairly cheap (I'm talking between $5 and $8 on most nights), the drinks are decently priced.. and did I mention the staff is AWESOME?
On non-show nights, there's pool (!!), and on Mondays, there's "Punk Rock Karaoke" (which is FREE, for you cover-charge sticklers out there).
This place is the kind of SOMA dive I've grown to know and love so well, and it's kinda become one of my homes-away-from-home.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Lisa T.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2007
A nice, fairly clean-cut, responsible girl in her late 20s walked into Annie's Social Club on a Friday night for her roommate's 30th birthday party. Have you seen her anywhere?
Because I have no idea who walked out.
The girl who left at approximately 2:15 AM (after a really ridiculous karaoke performance) was a bumbling, stumbling, drunk, stupid, broke, wreck, wreck, WRECK.
My beef with this place would be that their well drinks are too expensive. As in it feels like a $3.50 vodka-soda bar, when they're charging $5.00.
But given that I think I did a face plant on the sidewalk upon leaving, the price didn't stop me soon enough. So maybe they should up that to $7.00. -
Review from SheRat R.
San Francisco, CA
6/26/2007
I am upset that Annie's Cocktail Lounge is no longer half a block away from my apt (and sadder still that it's been replaced with the horrible Continental Grill Express (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) but I am glad that Annie is using her rockn'rollitude to add another, much needed, live-music venue to the city--as both a musician and a patron. I liked (and played at) both the Covered Wagon and the Cherry Bar, but now that Annie's got hold of the joint, it feels that much more like home.
As always, Annie and Tess are ffffrikkin' awesome and Punk Rock Karaoke carries on as it always has, ceptin' now, it's in the back room. It goes on *while* live shows are going on, which is a good thing (if, say, you have a show there and you're playing last and you don't really feel like sitting through the other two bands) and a bad thing (if, say, you have a show and you really wish people would stay and listen instead of escaping back to Karaoke).
Anyways, I'm glad Annie was able to procure this venue and branch out from cocktail lounge to live music. I'd like to hit happy hour here sometime, actually. -
Review from Sarah D.
1/12/2009
Pros: Magners Cider on tap, punk rock karaoke, quick bartenders, plenty of space.
Cons: Goths, a $5 cover.
I would go again on their famed brit-pop night, I think! -
Review from Miel H.
San Francisco, CA
4/15/2009
Gooferman Circus Antics on April 1st? Who would miss it? I surely couldn't. I found my way to Annie's on a weeknight and it was packed. The parking was easy peasy and the crowd was friendly++. My G&T had some very serious pucker power too!
Color theme is black and red with a toss in of hard core biker bar. Def part of the LOUD scene and I ain't referring to patrons clothing choices. Good sized dance floor and smallish stage make for an intimate setting.
I will be sure to come back here. The very fact that they support raunchy clowns is all I really needed to know. -
Review from Mia C.
Seattle, WA
7/1/2008
LEISURE at annie's social night is the most fun dance night i've experienced living in california.
i live in L.A. now, where they're too self-conscious to dance, and whenever i go up to the bay area i make damn sure i'm up on a first saturday so i can drag my friends up there and get my boogie on.
the dance floor gets a little crowded (*never* leave your jacket on the floor. check that shit in because it will get disgusting), but the music is so good you'll forget that. the vibe is great- everyone's just up to jump around and have fun. there's a karaoke lounge if you're into that. if not, there's a bar to hang around, and failing that, go to their photobooth. their beers are served in proper pint glasses with a decent selection and at a fair price.
hands down, most fun, unpretentious dance nights i've experienced have been at annie's. -
Review from Roachie D.
Oakland, CA
1/18/2007
I've only been to Annie's to see live music, but so far, I love it.
The bartenders are friendly, and fast and the drinks are reasonably priced.
The floor is spacious so there's plenty of room to move around, which is nice not feeling like a sardine sometimes.
I like that they have a pool table and Karaoke, although to be honest, I haven't played with either yet.
Oh, and the ladies bathroom has THREE stalls, which makes life so much more lovely (as opposed to one at most places) and they have full length mirrors so you can get your vain on.Listed in: Bars!
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Review from Kelly P.
1/4/2008
Came here for the New Wave New Year's Eve party to close out the '07. Since it was my first time here, I didn't really know what to expect, and the over-hyped, over-crowded, drama-filled memories of past New Year's Eve experiences made me a little hesitant about going out at all.
Luckily, Annie's wasn't crowded at all (at 11pm we were worried the dance floor would remain empty but it filled to a comfortable level), cover and drinks were cheap ($20 cover, $5 drinks), bartenders were friendly, and the retro 80s music rocked. Crowd was very laid back, everyone there to have fun. Hurray for a rockin' dive bar that hasn't been completely invaded by pretentiously-in-pain hipsters.
To spread the New Year's Eve joy, the bar supplied party hats, blowers, balloons, and plenty of plastic glasses of champagne to keep the party going. The karaoke in the back room would have been fun, had I been sober enough to participate. Would definitely go back, NYE or to see a show here. -
Review from Tiffany T.
Kirkland, WA
11/29/2006
I visited Annie's Social Club for the first time ever last weekend and I don't know why this should bother me so much, but, why must (almost) every guy wear skinny pants with a blazer and/or a vest decked out with a pair of black framed glasses? And why must (almost) every girl wear 50s/80s/Urban Outfitter- esque type clothes with dramatic eye/lip make up?
I suppose that makes it fairly easy to spot friends who are meeting you up and who do not dress anything remotely similar to what I just described. It's great to look out of place, like me!
To my surprise, the crowd was unpretentious as can be (except with the guy carrying his canvas and art supplies) and very mellow.
Anyway, the music, venue, and drinks were all very enjoyable and exceeded my expectations. And although the photo booth was out of service that night, I still took photos in it! *stomps feet* That photo booth better be working the next time I visit!
