Went for the first time w/ a group of friends. My partner & I had a great time. Great dj's - Aima…read moreThe Dreamer, Lady Ryan, Emancipacion all had the crowd goin, but Lady Ryan had my fist pumpin! LOVE HER :) Bar - beer on tap $5, good enough selection. Crowd - friendly. Mostly queer and a little sprinkle of str8 couples, which is all good for now so long the queer-ness doesn't downgrade like some other clubs that used to be mostly queer but turned str8 as the years went on. WE DEF NEED TO CHECK THAT if it goes that route. Cover - $5. It was actually advertised "free b4 5pm" , but when we arrived at 4:45pm, they charged us (-1 star for false advertisement). OVERALL: AWESOME place to get your groove on in a very comfortable outdoor environment.

So this really isn't a dance club but can be considered an alternative to one. Its a night of old…read moreschool games, DJs and adult beverages. Monopoly, UNO, Spades, Scrabble, Jenga, Connect Four etc. Whats really cool is that they had a monster sized Jenga, which becomes very entertaining when people have imbibed a bit too much. There were about 300-400 there and the entry fee is $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Sometimes they throw them in Oakland and sometimes in San Francisco. The concept is brilliant. I think the execution can be improved, however. One holding it in the Oakland Marriott was a downside. The event was in a huge well lit, ballroom and the open space took away from the nightclub feel. In the beginning, when people were dancing and playing games it seemed like a very nice event. Then the board games stopped and the group games, like Twister, Musical Chairs and Simon Says began. Here is where the evening took a turn for the worst IMO. First it was impossible for the group to participate in these activities. Therefore, they shouldn't have stopped the music and the boardgames. Then, some of the games became R rated....so much so that some people just didnt' want to put themselves out there like that. It eventually became evident that this wasn't the best place for a more mature crowd to spend an entire evening. The skinny? Great concept but depends on execution. My recommendation is to try it out do determine if it is your scene. If it is you will have a fantastic time.

I absolutely love playdate! I am not much of a club person. I usually only go out when I am out of…read moretown. Playdate is not an average club, in fact it's much better. The crowd is morenupscale thanthe average club especially considering the concept is playing games in a club atmosphere. I love the idea of reliving my childhood with alcohol!

The theater was an excellent place to watch a show, and I found it highly enjoyable. I went to see…read morePrescott Circus . They did an outstanding Performance.!

Great building, they do a lot for the community. My one complaint is that they don't turn off…read moretheir 4th floor bathroom lights (or close the blinds). As a next door neighbor, this is a bit annoying. And not energy efficient.

Samba Queens Academy is the class to transform you into a confident samba dancer. Though I have…read moretaken samba classes for nearly 5 years, I did not make the growth I have achieved in the last eight months since I have joined SQA. The individualized support and nurturing environment have helped me blossom. Queen Jazz-Ylaine is an accomplished dancer and an excellent teacher. She provides step by step lessons on samba foundations. I truly appreciate the one-on-one feedback. She gets to know you as a unique dancer with a unique body and unique quirks and tailors her comments to truly improve your technique. I am grateful for what I have learned. For quite some time, I felt I had hit a plateau in my samba. I felt I would always be stuck in a middle or back row and never improve. Now I realize that I needed a strong foundation, lots of practice in technique, and to work on my confidence. I know I have a lot to learn but I'm up for the challenge. Each class averages an hour. You start with a full body warmup before focusing on the lesson. It could be isolations, the fun bootyology(the art of shaking your bunda that makes samba dancers so fabulous), or endurance. Class concludes with a soulful group stretch and meditation. There are multiple levels/courses. Though I could have moved into the first intermediate class, level 4 which introduces choreography, I chose to repeat level 3, the last of the beginner courses. Sometimes classes are combined so that there are multiple levels together. We are then divided into small groups and work on our level's lesson or the more advanced students are asked to dance at a faster speed or level of intensity. This is a workout. You will get a great cardio workout and your legs will ache for days afterwards. Bring a towel and water. I'm a fan of jazz sneakers but jazz shoes or bare feet are also good. Samba literally has you on your toes so your regular sneakers won't allow you to adequately work on technique. Be prepared to work hard ; expect to smile wider and stand taller. Definitely a worthwhile experience for dancers of all levels.

One of best music performing venues in the San Francisco Bay Area. Berkeley Piano Club is a…read morenonprofit organization for the female musicians.

I've been coming here for piano recitals and competitions for the past, oh, probably 10 years. It's…read morea great space, not too big, not too small. The piano's pretty good, and the acoustics aren't bad. There's a nice place to chill outside with food for the after-party. I do think it could be less stuffy inside and a bit brighter, but in general, it's a nice place.

I've been to Oakland.Secret several times as a vendor to sell my zines. Working with the crew there…read moreis always so lovely and special, and the space itself is perfect: a small interior with a stage and a quaint backyard perfect for outdoor vending. They always have live shows and events coming up, so check their calendar if you need something fun and interesting to do. The coordinators are worth getting to know and the community is worth coming out to support.

If you've been playing taiko for years and want to take it up to a more creative level, this is the…read moretaiko dojo for you. Drawing on his education in modern dance and years of performing with SF Taiko Dojo & others, Sensei Bruce "Mui" Ghent composes and choreographs cutting edge original songs which are by far more superior to the typical powerhouse taiko songs. I've played taiko over 6 years with SF Taiko Dojo and another East Bay group. I've learned more technique with Maikaze Daiko than the other two combined. Maikaze hosts an annual Meigetsu (Harvest Moon) Taiko Festival Oct. 2-4, 2009. Over 9 other SF Bay Area taiko groups will participate. It's a great way to see the variety of styles. See Maikaze Daiko's website for details: http://www.maikazedaiko.com/

Ohayo-Gozaimasu!…read more Ever since I saw a Taiko performance in Golden Gate Park during AIDS walk a few years back, I've wanted to beat on some big ass drums. Sadly, I knew that I lacked a sense of both rhythm and timing. Despite these musical handicaps, I decided to find a place to learn Taiko and see what it could make of me, and Maikaze Taiko turned out to be that wonderful place. Sensei Mui, as well many of the sempai (more senior students), are very passionate about Taiko and it shows! I started the introductory class last October, where we went over Taiko etiquette, history, and even got to use the drums the very first day. This is one of the few classes I've taken that I felt some instant gratification and sense of achievement from. What's more is that I'm sure it's not just my imagination when I say that I really believe my senses of rhythm and timing are actually improving! Each week, we progess and add parts to a song that we're working on, as well as do drills to help us get into the groove and improve our form/timing/etc. Not to mention, Sensei Mui walks the room and helps each student with their technique, so we aren't just senselessly banging on the drums. At $15 per session, this is probably one of the best deals for an hour and a half long class where all of the equipment is provided. The introductory courses start approximately every other month, and are held on Sunday mornings. There are more advanced courses (Monday evenings), as well as workshops for improvement during the week (Wednesday mornings and Friday mornings). The studio is easily accessible by public transit, and if you have to drive, parking is readily available during the Sunday morning classes.

I can't say enough about Elmo the DJ. With very little direction, he was the heartbeat to the best…read moreday of our lives. From standing in for one of our groomsmen during the rehearsal, to riffing a song mentioned during the best man's speech (we are still all wondering how the heck he was able to pull that off like immediately after the song was mentioned), to the beautiful dinner music played with classical instruments to the tune of a Larry June song (among others)... then he did was we really really wished for: bring the club out to our wedding. To this day, people tell us that are wedding was a PARTY. And this is coming from people of all ages. Everyone keeps asking us how we found Elmo (that answer is, out and about in Oakland one night, which is so fitting). I truly appreciate that he did so many thoughtful things that helped us, including mentioning the photo app we set up to our guests so they can upload their photos from the wedding. He truly went above and beyond. I will forever be grateful for his flexibility during our two wedding postponements due to COVID restrictions. His "go with the flow" attitude made the music/MC aspect of our wedding completely stress free. I should also mention that I love the wedding song template he provided to us... it all worked out so perfectly. He was able to do it all: uplights, MC, bomb music for ceremony, dinner, and reception. If you're looking for a DJ for your wedding or party, I couldn't recommend Elmo enough. Bonus points for his outfit!

A role model of a dj. Nicest guy you could ever have dj your party. Very reasonable prices too.read more