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Categories: Dive Bars, Music Venues [Edit]
2330 Telegraph Ave
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I'm quite surprised I haven't written a review about this place.
I've been a patron of Stork Club and a performer here and from both points of view, its hands down lovely. Tom's the best and their new bartender is adorable ( Hey you! )
The clientele is great. A mix of young and old (especially depending on who's playing there), hipsters and douches and preps and jocks. Okay, not so many jocks, but hey, its a great potpourri of all walks and none with a judgmental stench about them.
Overall, I love Stork Club, nice and small and divey, big ol' backroom with pool tables and an outdoor patio, there's something there for any mood I may be in when I arrive.
Downtown Oakland. Taco Bell, gas stations, 1/4LB Burger. Side streets full of peril. A nondescript red sign radiates softly into the city night's city lights. On a busy night the sound of speakers vibrating the beams of the vintage structure greets the curious passerby, and a cover charge for the nights performances is soon paid.
To the right, the bands' flaws and slight mis-tunings blare forth. The left, a bar with a large feature mirror lined with dozens of classic barflys, temporary patrons, and fans and girlfriends of the performing musicians. Christmas is year round here.
Pabst is on hand, as it should be at every bar of the Stork's caliber. Cocktails stiff and priced right. For the curious, the have Hemp ale on tap.
Down a hall lined with vintage show fliers is a small pool hall & arcade room and out the back door is the smokers shack, constructed of old billboard signage and giant canvas movie posters. On a rainy night the ambiance of the smokers lounge is indescribably enjoyable urban decay.
Hundreds of local band have cut their teeth on the Stork's stage. Including mine. The soundboard engineers have recorded dozens of sets, demos, and even a couple of albums.
Many a good night has been had at the Stork. I've murdered several guitars on stage there in a fit of noisy rebellion, our cover of Rock Lobster saw this slim boy don a speedo, and nobody watched.
The Stork is Pure Oakland Punk.
and they even have a Ice Hockey Team.
So on Thursday, a little buzzed from my five dollars-worth of wine samples at Franklin Square Wine Bar, my middle school friend, who I've seen only a handful of times in the last 13 years, and I decided we felt like continuing to drink. He asked me if I wanted to "go to the dive bar or the gay bar." Gay men? We all know I'm always down, but he told me it was too early for it to be poppin', and since I understand that not even the most open straight man wants to be hit on by other men all night, I opted for the dive--which, it turns out, is the Stork Club.
Shuffle a block and a half or so down to the front, the sort of pretty uninspiring storefront typical of this part of Oakland. My friend says something about hoping they don't have a cover, and I think, "Oh, I would NEVER pay a cover to get in here," but decide to keep my bitchy comments to myself--and am I ever glad I did. Once inside (no cover yet), I'm greeted by bright red walls, PBR signage (other beer signage, too), a really good sized, and clean, main bar area and an adjoining music/dance/further drinking area. There's punk rock playing on the jukebox. This pleases me, pleases me immensely, in fact. And not only that, but what's this I see? Moose Drool on tap? For reals?!? And $4? Oh, my heart is won. My friend got an IPA for $4. Reasonable prices, indeed. Your $4 will also get you a PRB tallboy (a bottle is $2, and I'm not sure how much the draft PBR is).
Walking beyond the main bar, we entered a pool/video game room, completely covered with old show flyers. Nice touch. Wins me over even more. Continue to the left and there's a nice and appropriately grungy "outdoor" area. Covered by a sort of a tent, it's got seats, a table. An indoor/outdoor smoking area, basically--where they, like Zeitgeist, will let you blaze (if you're so inclined). My friend and I ended up spending the evening out here, even as various hardcore bands began to play and filter outside for cigarettes, because we wanted to chainsmoke (actually, initially the intention was to find someone to bum off of, but as we were the only people outside when we got to the Stork Club, rather quickly a pack was purchased...and entirely consumed within 4 hours...gross).
Everyone we met there was exceedingly friendly--and I ran into a girl who did my hair a couple years ago. Bartenders aren't going to be over the top and kiss up, but they're very casual and real, and if you appreciate that (as I do), this is a good place for you. Prices are reasonable, beer selection is good, liquor collection is vast, and on First Friday you can smuggle tallboys out.
Clearly this is my new favorite bar in the East Bay.
People thought this was:
Here is why this place is the best:
1. Best burlesque show (free free free!) in the East Bay on First Fridays!
2. Barbie dolls of all levels of weirdness behind the bar
3. Nudie photo hunt on the game machine
4. PBR however you like it (in $3, $4, $5 sizes)
5. Great live music and small area makes seeing a show personal and fun
6. Pool tables in the back.
7. There is always someone who is weirder than you there, so you can sit back, relax and be yourself. Rock on!
There are all kinds of dive bars in all kinds of places. The right kind of dive bar has to have a balance of disrepair, affordable booze, and some kind of a non-mainstream crowd. But that balance can be thrown off by the following, all of which I experienced last night:
1) Drug deals outside and whole lot of GHETTO as I walk to the entrance. Not the venue's fault, of course.
2) Bright lights so I see the disrepair up-close and personal. Not to mention the 5 chicks I saw trip on the quasi steps to the patio. And the communal bathroom experience. Maybe I'd be less affected if there were more people and distractions around (it seemed a bit dead for a Saturday night) and if I had achieved better inebriation, which leads into #3...
3) A bartender mixing weak drinks (that even my cat wouldn't get a buzz on) and charge me double what the 500 would charge on a busy night. And same bartender not giving me change for a voluntary tip.
4) Being monopolized and having to order more drinks from bartender in #3.
But saving graces for this place are: nice owner, nice door person, and decent sound. The crowd was also relevant for a death rock event.
I guess if I live in that area and had very limited choices for seeing shows, I wouldn't care about these details and the oodles of PBR signage (are trucker hats still trendy too?). But I care when I have to trek out to Oakland from SF, and when I can't just walk out to another bar and move on with my life.
People thought this was:
I have a problem and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Being from Milwaukee I have a love affair, nay, a romance with PBR. The problem you see, is that any time I see something PBR related... I want it. Bar mats, banners, ashtrays... If it's PBR related, I have to constantly fight the klepto urge to make it mine.
That being said this place is FULL of PBR wonders. I'm talking a huge freeway sign that says something like "This exit to PBR". I WANT IT, but before management at the Stork Club starts doing inventory to make sure I didn't make off with their stuff I promise I didn't. I didn't say I do steal PBR items, just that I have to constantly fight an urge. Sure, I told my friend repeatedly that he should distract the bartender so I could make off like a bandit, but I was kidding. Kind of. Yes, I'll seek help at a later time. Not sure how I feel about the Barbies everywhere, but I can ignore that and just focus on the PBR goodness.
Other than the decor, it's also a really nice intimate venue for some good music. Went there last night for the Hex Dispensers and they rocked it. Good sound, nice bar, and a good crowd too. My type of place, just divey enough without worrying about a shanking. For y'all smokers they have an outdoor patio in the back covered by a tent for you to puff away. Two pool tables and Ms Pacman too, don't even pretend like you don't want to rock some Ms Pacman.
I have no idea what other types of music they got going on here, I can only comment on last night, but if you see a group pop up at the Stork that you like I definitely recommend it. I'll be back for some more punk, no doubt about that.
If you're also afflicted by my rare PBR disease then this is your place. I imagine heaven to be something like a dive bar filled with PBR, I can't think of anything better.
People thought this was:
You know that scene in Harry Potter where he's at the Quidditch Tournament and steps into this little tiny tent where he's staying, and all of a sudden, as he walks through, it transforms into a giant loft-style circus tent home on the inside? And his eyes light up and he says I LOVE MAGIC!
???
Yeah, it's kinda like that.
I came here last night to see Shannon & the Clams and it was certainly a nice enough venue, and an ample size. Bar area to the left, music area to the right. Laid-back, fun atmosphere. Plenty of room for dancing. And the people who work here? Totally nice.
But then. THEN. Walk down the hallway toward the bathroom, and it opens up into another huge room, filled with pinball machines and pool tables. Which, I might mention, were redone YESTERDAY. And are a perfect joy to play on.
Keep walking, and you'll find yourself in ANOTHER room, kind of a back area enclosed porch hangout.
And might I note that you can play pool and still hear the bands just perfectly? Yes.
i had such high expectations of this place. i feel well a bit robbed.
So i made the trek across the bay to experience some of the city they call Oakland. So i headed to the Stork Club for Death Rock Dive Bar. I arrive and am immediately confronted by two quasi gangmembers who couldnt get what they were saying out of their mouths. meh, whatever.
Entering the stork club i see the place maybe has 10-12 folks milling around, i pay my 6 bucks and come into the bar proper.
WTF? why are there barbie's in the packages all over the dam place? Something isnt quite right, but whatever, onto the liquor selection, meh i've seen better but hey this is supposed to be a dive bar. everyone is drinking PBR so i'm wondering how far the tide of Hipsters has risen when i order my first Captain and Coke.
Now mind you yelpers, if you've ever drank with me i drink ALOT and FAST. i wonder if there was even any booze in that drink as all i can taste is cola, meh, so I order another one and the bartender seems to be exasperated that i order another before he gets back with my change. HELLO HINT HINT HINT the drink is weak! anyways i have a few while waiting for some friends, taking in the place, i gotta say i like the cowboy pics but i think the hipster signage is a bit overdone.
The dj, don't recall his name is playing some fanfuckingtastic tunes, although its so loud with very few people you cant talk to anyone. i enjoyed the melange of show posters in the back room and the smoking area was not that bad.
Throughout the night it was repeated trips to the bar, although the service was fast, the drinks got no stronger, for a dive bar i hadn't expected to pay top prices like i find in the city, particularly weak ones at that.
I did enjoy myself as the music was good, the bands that played, were none to shabby especially for the price and well my company was awesome.
i'd rate the place higher but the drink situation has got to be remedied.
People thought this was:
Hit this place up after April's art walk in Oakland...
Burlesque with Bombshell Betty
A decent crowd
A cool dive-y ambiance.
But the kicker...$5 for a shot of Jameson and a PBR.
Sold.
People thought this was:
Dude I had such a good time here. Two pool tabels that were JUST re-upholstered that are amazing. Lots of rooms (bar room, music room, pool/game room, and smoking room outdoor). Great pours on the drinks and a reasonably surly/friendly regular clientele. I'd come back here to drink/see a show in a heartbeat. Right on stork.
The Stork delivers a night of debotcherous antics complete w/ T & A, booz and pool.
So our fearless leader Shelly picks this jin goint out for the site for our next EB DYL (for those who don't speak Yelpeese: East Bay Destroy Your Liver (re-occuring gathering every other Friday). Anywho...this place kicks gratuitously exposed ass!
1) Strong drinks
2) Pool tables
3) Video games
4) Hott hott hott bartenders
5) Interesting decor
6) My first ever burlesque show
7) Tall boy PBR cans (shotgunning anyone?)
The burlesque show was amzing....extremely tallented artist displaying their "skills" while I sip on my PBR in the front row. An added bonus was the "up close and personal time" w/ The Pick-up Artist.
There is just one problem....its semi-farish from Bart :(
Definitely worth the trip...so check it out, Jive Turkey.
People thought this was:
This joint's all over the place: Barbie's adorning the bar, PBR paraphernalia everywhere, arcade games, pool, make-shift patio that spills into the alleyway. It's one hazardous mishmash of the random and cool, and I effing love it.
Always good for a brew with some friends as there's guaranteed to be something strange/entertaining on stage. Three cheers for the burlesque too. And the crowd? Slightly disaffected, mostly hipster, but alcohol is the uniting factor and you're bound to be highfiving strangers by the end of the night.
People thought this was:
Woo hoo! 400 Reviews and I'm trashy and classy at the same time.
I have been to the Stork Club several times and you can always count on the place to bring you simultaneous joy and sadness.
Joy...pain...sunshine and rain. The Friday night I went, there was a little bit of everything--even the rain.
I've come here to drink whiskey and stare at the demented Barbies along the wall. I've come here for strange honky tonk jazz, and I've come here for burlesque shows. Whatever your pleasure, the Stork Club will surely have a theme night for you to haunt.
Great PBR tall cans to end your art murmur night with (or begin a night of boobies with). Good DJ, who really pleases the crowd with retro hits that get you to not take yourself so seriously, even though it is Friday night and you're supposed to be hip and all...I don't care how tight your jeans are, if vintage Prince comes on, you are going to DANCE.
Hipsters dancing on chairs, rubenesque burlesque dancers on the stage, men in overalls and an ecclectic crowd to say the least, this place offers a little something for everyone to either love or hate.
Minus one star for poor ventilation. I know the girls on stage are scantily clad, but you've got a crowd of heavy, breathing heathens in the dark--turn on a fan and cut us some slack! Or get me another beer.
People thought this was:
dive-ity, dive, dive, dive
That's what I was thinking when I walked over two dogs, nodded to a couple of regulars, to a bathroom covered in stickers and into a stall with a lock which does lock but doesn't actually work as a lock.
And I smiled!
This is my kinda place.
We went for First Friday Follies.
Boobies & Beer.
$2 PBRs
I had a full night of sleep and I'm still smiling.
Why does this only happen once a month?
People thought this was:
When I think of a stork, I think of a delivery.
But to deliver a fucking glass of wine seemed to be too overwhelming for one bartender. [Hey Jethro, sorry it's so taxing to pop a cork for ya vs. unscrewing a cap.]
In all fairness, he did deliver my last glass free and basically told me to scram. Which I did..happily and with his attitude, no tip for you asshole!
I caught the big lady burlesque show and it was a steaming, hot burlesque mess! It wasn't very sexy to me. If I want to see fatness in skibbies, I'll just undress and shake my ass in a full-length mirror. Seriously, that was just scary. I'm all for size acceptance because I'm down with Tyra's vision but, this was a little too much. I left during the man singing the blues so, maybe there is a sexy burlesque show later in the evening?
I was in really good company, but the club just didn't grab hold of my drunken soul.
People thought this was:
A solid bar and show venue with several distinct zones and a little something for nearly everyone. The main bar room has a lounge feel to it and the bartenders are both friendly (assuming that you are, too) and generous mixers. If you like cheap beer, you'll appreciate the $2 PBR's. Through an open doorway and interior windows, you'll find seating against the wall of an open stage and dancefloor. The crowd the night I was there was loving the excellent 80's music the DJ was spinning, and I was right with them. In the back, past the good-by-edgy-bar-standards bathrooms, was a fun game room, complete with 2 pool tables (in good shape!), 3 video games, and 2 pinball machines. Well-lit and shielded from the music room, this would be a great escape if the band or DJ got too loud. Further through is the fenced and tarped-over smoking porch outside.
If I lived nearby, and were more of a barfly, I could see myself coming here often.
TRIVIA: The stork is historically considered a harbinger of prosperity and luck. Given the action some people were getting on the dance floor (not to mention the burlesque stage show), that may be the origin of the bar's name. Quite a contrast to the folklore of storks being monogamous (they're actually *serial monogamists*), which led to centuries of Christianity using storks as emblems of chaste marriage.
People thought this was:
*Come on Barbie, let's go party...*
I was greeted at the door by a man with a comment for every ID. A velvet portrait of John Wayne hung to my left and an extensive collection of Barbie's sat to my right.
*Oh, oh oh yea. Ooo oh oh Ooo oh oh.*
A Barbie like female bartender poured my first drink. I thought it was happy hour but apparently, it only applies to certain customers? She was beautiful and focused. I knew she'd probably be pouring my drinks for the rest of the night, so I didn't complain.
There's a great game room in the back. I was on the losing side of a couple of games but had fun while doing it. (**Shhhh, there's a peep hole in the door where you can see the girls getting ready for the Burlesque show**)
Drinks 1 -? Were served in a glass glass. Drink #2nd to last was served in a plastic glass...
and I dropped it. Props to the male bartender with a very eerily accurate premonition!
2 girl strangers saw my who-haw that night. No joke. There's a lock on the stall door that looks like a lock, sounds like a lock and feels like a lock but isn't a lock.
My friend wanted me to order him a "girly drink". I really don't even know what one is. Someone recommended I get him a sex on the beach. I tried. I ordered it and the bartender screamed back, "No sex on the beach!" :( boo
This place has seating. It does not, however, have adequate air-conditioning. Between the great 80's music set and way too many people crammed into one room for the booby show, I began to melt. I can get a little claustrophobic and I remember saying, "I have to get out of here", twice. I was having a great time and wanted to stay but couldn't take the heat. A burlesque show of my own was out of the question so I grabbed my friends and we made our way outside into the cool drizzle.
People thought this was:
Two years after moving to California from DC, I'm learning that there are just some parts of my personality that just won't change. I'm, for the most part, adapting to the Californian mindset - I recycle. I tolerate Bart. I've gotten used to not actually having weather. There's many things, though, that just don't change...here's a few:
1. I don't believe it's appropriate to wear flip flops all year. Yes, we live in California, but news flash, it's NORTHERN California - it's not that warm.
1a. Girls in Uggs in the Summertime - not only are you wearing some of the ugliest shoes on earth, but you're making me feel hot (and not in the good way) looking at you - please put on some weather appropriate footwear.
2. Hipsters - Yeah - they were in DC. I know a few, but they are just rampant here. I just want to tie them all down and wash them and burn their clothes and take them to J Crew and Banana Republic and fast forward to the inevitable settling down in the suburbs for them. And seriously - the attitude! Yes, I realize that I'm wearing a merino cardigan and trouser jeans, and my clothes are clean and they match - you, my dear, are wearing about 15 layers of stuff that looks like it hasn't been truly clean for years and was pulled together "Blindfolded" and by blindfolded, I mean you purposefully put on coordinating but kinda wrong combinations simply to show me that you don't care. But you do - all of you look the same. And you all look kinda silly...
3. I will never understand the fascination of those in #2 with extremely dive-y bars. I suppose there are people who don't get why I love dressing up and paying $15 for a martini, but to each her own right? And while I can totally be on board with a certain degree of diveyness - the very studied diveyness of some places is just...off-putting...there's always the tatooed bartenders who seem to want to punish my preppiness by making me wait forever for my vodka soda then want to confuse me by charging me different amounts for every round.
Stork club is a #3 kind of place filled with #2 kind of people. I didn't have a chance to be stressed about the boobies flying around in the burlesque show because I lost my cardigan 45 seconds after we got there (it was SO hot - and not in a good way) and I was terrified that someone would see the Banana Republic tag and burn it. Luckily I found it. And promptly put it over my shoulders like the repressed (and ever so slightly...uppity) east coast chick I am.
Sorry - you can take the girl out of Arlington...but you can't take the arlington out of the girl
People thought this was:
This place attracts an eclectic mix of people. A bunch of Yelpers met up here for a DYL which happened to fall on the same night as the Belle Du Jour burlesque show and the Oakland Art Murmur. Needless to say, we were packed in there like sardines. I like the fact that this place has pool tables, arcade games and even a pinball machine. There's lots to do besides drink and there was a lot of room despite the fact that it was pretty busy. I'd definitely go back here to meet up with some friends or just hang out and play pool.
Ooh and we danced like geeks to 80s classics...you can't go wrong there.
By the way, this used to be a tranny shack before they turned it into a bar.
People thought this was:
Every starting east bay band plays the stork which is both good and bad. Low budget decor but not low budget drinks to match. But the crown is often pretty cool
First I want you to realize that this review is based on one DYL event I attended here.
Yay boobies and beer!!!!!
Yes that's right! What an amazing place for a yelp DYL event with a very fun group of people and a very entertaining burlesque show!
As I walked here from the bart station to the Stork Club one of the first things I noticed were a number of art studios very near by having what appeared to be art openings. The bar itself, comprised of a number of rooms including one with a stage and lighting could very well have housed one of these art shows with the crowd spilling out on to the sidewalk.
The decor here reminded me of an eclectic art show itself. The walls were cluttered with posters of previous shows, artwork and all kinds of random things I can't remember thanks to the Jameson shots and PBRs I consumed.
Speaking of which, they set up a special table that just sold PBR bottles and cans and shots of Jameson. I'm not sure why but it definitely reduced congestion at the bar and made things much easier for the already crowded show.
And let me just say the east bay yelpers ROCK!
I am definitely coming back here. Yay I'm a fan!!
People thought this was:
Have I mentioned how much I like free ta ta's? Well I do and I found some here. And when I use the word like I really mean LOVE.
We came here for a DYL and I have to admit that prior to arriving I walked a block in the wrong direction (i get turned around easily and probably should have driven here, but oh well). First off the door man made me laugh which is what I needed after a long ass day. I ordered a madras at the bar and despite having to tell the bartendress how to make it, it was absolutely awesome (she had great ta ta's too but I will address the abundance of bewbs in a moment). I was also introduced to my first Irish Car Bomb (i know at the ripe age of 28 i should have had one by now but I had not so suck it). It was the BEST THING EVER!!!!
The bar also has this really nifty back room that has a two bar pool tables a couple of first person shooter video games and a couple of pinball machines...everything you need to entertain yourself while drunk. There is an enclosed patio off of this backroom which is pretty cool, but I give a warning: BEWARE of the random dude who offers you a seat, he will try to sell you a homemade wallet for $30.
Now on to the ta ta's:
I came here for the sole reason I got to see bewbs other than my own shake and bounce for free. Yes, free. Once a month they have a burlesque show here and it is amazing...the ladies are quite hot. When the MC pulled out whips I could barely contain my joy. And the ta ta's: AMAZING...and even though I'm a lady I can appreciate a good rack when I see it. I was floored and wanted more! The room the performance took place was hot to begin with, and they only made it hotter.
Then Theron gave me a beer, and all was right with the world...
People thought this was:
I really like to spend the first Friday night of every month sipping beer and watching chubby strippers shake their thang for free. I think some may refer to this art form as burlesque but most everyone probably agrees that it's certainly entertaining.
While I will never quite get the whole hipster way of dressing down and just don't see the point of drinking 22-ounce PBRs in a can when there is perfectly decent beer on tap-I belong at the Stork Club. Just ask the plastic graffiti'd snowman that sits at the end of the bar-for some odd reason he has my last name marked on his belly!
This place is pretty mellow for a small venue and I've found most patrons to be quite cordial. However, my fav was the bartender last night. As he served me my pint he said that anyone who orders a Redtail deserves a spanking. My response? "When?" His-"You're a funny girl!" Me-"No really, when?" He just laughed and went to serve someone else.
Perhaps I'll return on a night when the Stork isn't quite so crowded.
People thought this was:
review stork club
3 rooms good live music place.... change country music tags...
$4 gin and tonic... monster beercans
band "Craftmatic adjustables" played that night.. ok
moderatly clean... cool pisser
babie collection behind bar is creepy
If all the eclectic wall decorations and the folding-table-come-bar-extension selling just PBR (meh) and Jameson (yay!) on the night I was there wasn't enough, the game room in the back with old school arcade games and air hockey immediately sold me on this place.
Nice friendly people here, a little on the hipstery side (though I'm not completely sure what exactly a hipster is anyway so I could just be talking out of my ass) but otherwise not pretentious at all. I like the fact that there's a Tamale Man, as opposed to the Tamale Lady or Tamale Girl (this last one I have not encountered, though I hear good things).
My only real complaint was that the performance area had very little air circulation and got to be almost unbearably hot - some patrons decided to emulate the performers by taking off their shirts (it was a burlesque show - loooved the Rubenesque Burlesque chicks), which I'm sure helped but it wasn't really a solution for me. All the power to them though. :]
I would absolutely wander back over here again, maybe get a little air hockey or Ms. Pac-Man action in too.
People thought this was:
Sociologist Jennifer R. engages in the odd first Friday hipster watchings that go on at the Stork Club with fascination and gusto. They are a complicated breed, these hipsters, but more welcoming than you might think. Especially if you are rockabilly, artistic, punk, "outdoorsy"* or can pass for 50% hipster once a month, like myself. You will find that they demand not only Pabst on tap, but also in 20oz bullet cans. You also may be surprised to discover that, when drunk, they grab ass and laugh it off about as frequently as other nonhipster Oakland residents**.
I saw a burlesque show yesterday that knocked my socks (although not quite my drawers) off. The Stork always has a show, and rarely a required cover. The decor is offbeat and quirky, as the clientelle demands, and the bartenders are nice enough, but also a requisite dose of "edgy." I like this friendly local institution.
*ie, kinda stinky
**Excepting, of course, people with sticks up their ass, because that would get complicated.
People thought this was:
A show that would get a bunch of douchey posers in the Mission gets a balls-out, throw-down punk rock fucking crowd at the Stork Club.
No one's trying too hard to be all hip or ironic or sceney or whatever. People are just there to rock out.
Keep it real, Oaktown. That's why I love you Baby.
People thought this was:
Barbies, barbies and more barbies. Internet juke box where the bartender will play "Every Sperm is Sacred" (without waiting for a request). Pool tables. Pinball machines. Back patio for smoking. Undercover Green Day. Strong drinks. Kick ass Blood Marys. Good to great to meh bands. The only reason it doesn't get five stars is because it's not always open when I want it to be.
People thought this was:
i never thought i'd have so much fun on a night that ended with a friend of mine vomiting STRAIGHT UNTO my shoes.
i tell ya, it came out like a freakin' rope. like rapunzel letting down her fucking long hair. and my friend is about 5'5 (which is 4 inches taller than me) and we ate at lanesplitter beforehand, so you *KNOW* that shit splattered! eww, i know. but that was a long time ago, when i was young and forgiving.
if you love kilowatt in SF, you'd love it here. alas, i lost touch with that set of friends along the years, but the stork club always brings me back. i thank this place for great memories, cool bar chums, and a mild vomiting fetish.
dude, i was kidding about that last one.
People thought this was:
Last night I made the mistake of commenting on the Stork Club's unruly prices ($8 for a Jameson shot in tiny little plastic thimble), right as the owner walked by. "We've had the same prices for 10 years!" he huffs, all offended. Sorry, dude, but I really doubt you'd still be in business if you charged $8 for a shot in 1998. We get it -- First Friday = Art Murmur = lots of money for you. There's no shame in that.
I've been to the Stork Club for a few shows, all with lower key crowds than last night, and had plenty of fun... but each time I go, the hipster Oakland snobbery level ratchets up a notch. There is a thread of something genuinely cool going on there, though, and some great bands come on through (if only I could stay up late enough to see them)...
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Two words... Nipple tassels.
Nuff said.
So I really like this place. Nevermind the crackheads outside that are drawn to me like a moth to an effing flame, asking for money.. but I like the Stork!
I've been more times than I can remember and I've always had a good time. You can catch REALLY good bands *cough* like Maldroid *cough*, and you can get your $2 PBR fix. So I'm not a PBR fan but for all of you who are.. this is the place to go!
Why else do I like this place?
1. The sign on the door says "do not slam door" the first thing I did was slam it. hard. and by accident! but did anyone yell at me? nope!
2. There's a pool table and video games in the back so while you're waiting for the next band to set up and you're not much of a smoker (me) you have something to occupy your time.
3. I like the bartenders. They're all super nice and I've never had a problem getting a drink or anything.
Overall, it's a fun place. And you'll be amused with not just the drinks, bands and video games, but the expansive Barbie doll collection along the back of the bar. =D
I remember it like it was my birthday, several years ago. That's because it was my birthday.
My band was all set to play, last set of the night. We had played the Stork Club before, so we knew what to expect-- cheap drinks at the bar, band equipment set up next to the stage in waiting, tinsel behind the stage, and the bar covered in Christmas decorations and Barbie dolls.
Our show began, and after a few songs, one or two of my thirteen (!) bandmates slip backstage to bring out a cake. You know the kind-- a mass-produced sheet cake from your local supermarket. The plan was that it would be funny, no, hilarious to plant my face right in the middle of that cake. And it would have worked if I had been drinking that night.
But you see, I didn't drink that night.
A wrestling match ensues between myself and a half-dozen of my bandmates, while they try desperately to grind my face into the quasi-confectionery... the upshot of which was greasy sugary cake ground into everyone else's clothes, the carpet and several chairs, the drum kit and other instruments, which were of course scattered all over the place. Not much different than the conclusion to any of our other shows, really.
Even after getting a mop & bucket and cleaning the entire stage area, we were told, in no uncertain or vague terms, that we were never, ever going to play the Stork Club again.
We played the Stork Club again a few months later. I love the Stork Club.
People thought this was:
There is a big hole in the middle of Telegraph in front of the Stork Club.
It's an access point for a PG&E gas line, just large enough for a foot, which SHOULD have a metal cover of some sort...
BUT IT DOESN'T.
If you are anxious to get in the bar because you have to pee, and you run across the street in front of a moving car, and you step in the hole and wipe out and twist your ankle and bloody up your knees right before meeting your date...
A very awesome guy who got nearly run over by a car on your first date (don't ask, please...) and still asked you to come see his band play just a few days later...
Then the tough biker/metal dudes who work here will take very good care of you. Very good care.
They will find you one piece of sterile cotton padding in their kitchen and some scotch tape so that your old friend and awesome guy can get to know each other while they tape up your knee (it didn't hurt TOO bad when I ripped the scotch tape off, if you're wondering)...
The huge bouncer man will make awesome conversation with you while you hobble around on your swollen ankle, about the MC5 and Iggy and the Stooges and how rad the Detroit music scene is/was, even though he looks like he was more into Black Sabbath in those days...
All the regulars will regale you with the significance of the Barbie Doll collection behind the bar (yep!) and the little old lady owner (yep!)...
This is a classic dive with a tough look, a tough sound, and a soft heart. Loved it. I just wish it wasn't in the damn East Bay.
And it's only appropriate that I fell in a hole for this guy, but the city of Oakland really should do something about that sucker...
People thought this was:
No cover, good music, reasonably priced beer and not insanely crowded... maybe it's time to move to Oakland.
Just kidding, people get murdered in Oakland.
People thought this was:
Stork Club books anybody. That's the good thing. There's good nights, there's bad nights. But there's always a show. They support the local scene and touring bands so thats always a plus. I've been to many shows here and it's the only place I really go to for 21 and up shows if not all ages.
So last night I went to probably the most packed show at the Stork I've ever attended. A little known band called the Foxboro Hot Tubs played. They were awesome. I bought a couple PBR's over the course of the night, enjoyed the music and did some people watching. (Oakland's a fun place to do that, especially at night) Walked over to the Koreana Plaza to get some grub and some water. Ran into a transvestite hooker spitting lines to BIG's "Big Poppa", watched some cops chase down and storm an apartment building across the street and went back inside.
What an eventful night. The bands, were all great by the way. I was totally drenched from sweat afterwards.
The good: A nice place to catch a show, especially on low key nights. An easy place to get a show. Decent prices at the bar. and no pay to play!
The bad: It can get pretty hot in there. The sound can be bad on certain nights.
The ugly. Some sketchy cats out in the street at night. I LOVE OAKLAND!
People thought this was:
CarnEvil + PBR tall boys = my idea of a good time at the Stork Club!
People thought this was:
When I feel like banging my head against the wall, drinking, playing video games, and getting bad diarrhea from random vendors. I come out to the stork.
This place is loads of fun. I love just about ever band which rolls through and rocks your face off. I like the big play room, as I call it, which provides hours of fun drunken pinball and video games. They do pour decent drinks and it's a great bar to visit.
However, stay away from the "BBQ Sandwich Chick". I am not sure she is there on a regular basis; the last time I was there was the first I've seen of her. Anyhow her sandwiches gave all of us, talking 4 people in total, the worse case of the shits ever. Not cool. Other than that this place rocks..
People thought this was:
like shelly said, this place is as divey as it gets. when i walked in there were drunk regulars, bartenders eating pizza, 4 dogs roaming around(1 the size of a horse), punk rock playing in the background. i even accidently stepped in a doggie bowl. hilarious.
had a great time though. the drinks were cheap and strong, although they didnt want to make me my girly drink with an umbrella on top. true dive bar lol. they had a pool room with 2 pool tables and some arcade games which was a nice touch.
as the burlesque show was about to start, the place got packed and the bar became very muggy. luckily, it was raining outside and it felt good. the burlesque show was...entertaining. the clown guy nearly got boo'd off the stage. the singer guy's kazoo freaked me out. and...boob. great night.
People thought this was:
I remember when this place used to be a black tranny bar and then a country bar... yes, I've been in this neighborhood for that long. Now it's a pretty cool club, but my favorite thing about the Stork Club is the taco truck parked right in front....Pure Genius!!! Yes, that means you can go get your drink on and rock out and then stumble your way to a tasty taco!
Went to a show there last week that was awesome! And the funny thing is everyone knew my dad! Who knew an ornery old vietnamese man would be so popular with the rock set.
Oh, and keep an eye out for the dog that hangs out in the stock room all nite, he's a cutie!
People thought this was:
Oakland, CA
Category: Music Venues
Berkeley, CA
Category: Music Venues
Neighborhood: West Oakland
Category: Art Galleries
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Performing Arts
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