So...here we go. I've now been to halcyon 3+ times. The review hour has come...
For the first time in San Francisco, "I forgot that I was in SF, I forgot for a night that I was in the USA, or even on Earth..." - me
There aren't many artists that can inspire those kinds of nights, much less a venue. Only a few come to my mind: Space Ibiza, Berghain Berlin, Trouw Amsterdam....and now, Halcyon San Francisco.
In what used to be known as the Beatbox (a gay oriented club), out of the "fires of creation" has risen a Phoenix, one that has proved through each time I've been there, the vibe of the soul. This isn't just another technological marvel of clubbing location, this is San Francisco - as it was, and should be.
Each time I enter that door, I'm greeted with the music and the club, and the crowd head on, there are no "corners" nor hidden "nooks and crannies", this club is the temple of sound many in this city, and in the industry have been yearning for for years again. Being someone who grew up on the rave scene here in sf pre-Polk gentrification, back when Groove was reality, the sense of inclusion, of "all about the music" seems to have been lost to me in this city for a very long time. Halcyon is exactly that, a place that dreamers can go, the people who care, about the art of music, and unity, without judgment nor oppression for their way of life. A true audio escape built not to be the latest and greatest, but to give homage to the decks and the talents that grace them.
Big, inviting, including, and timeless - giving homage to the place it once was, these are the areas that will take this club into a new era of late nights in San Francisco. The sound? Superb, the vibe? premium space with a clear underground nod. The people? The question should be more so "who doesn't come to halcyon?"
Leave the douche and the pretentious at home, they won't work here, but neither will be turned away either, you'll be transformed upon entry, when halcyon takes you and your mind on a journey to when unity in dance was not just a concept, but a way of being, a form of being that went away and has long been missing in this city.
Don't believe me??? Experience it for yourself!
One point of improvement: DRAFT BEER! From a safety standpoint it make sense (no bottles to neither fall on nor use in an aggressive manner, however the aggression so far is non existent here. If the acrylic is the reason (higher costs) deposits on the first glass, have people bring their acrylware back to not pay it again, it's a concept used in many other clubs in Europe for example.
The security is on the ball, the crowd and the music are like no where else in this city Ive been to.
Halcyon has cracked the formula...keep it up, bring it back, San Francisco is back to renew itself.
This is clubbing gold! read more