Last week SF saw a lot of concerts get cancelled, then all concerts and tours got cancelled as venues started closing until further notice. On Tuesday, March 17th, 6 different major counties in the Bay Area were put into lock down, quarantined, ordered to shelter in place. A few days later LA county was ordered to do the same and then within that same hour the whole State of California was put into lock down.
Only essential businesses are to remain open.
Only essential businesses are to remain open.
I found myself facing immediate unemployment almost two weeks ago after working Okeechobee music festival. Since then, I have been watching in horror as the live music industry community crumbles.
And now, small businesses. Big businesses.
No business means no revenue. No revenue means no jobs. No jobs means no income.
Then what does that mean?
Yesterday came the flood of emails and posts with links for fundraisers to help save music venues in San Francisco and list is long.
Then, it happened.
The first official announcement of a music venue closing permanently came yesterday evening. Slim's, which has been around for as long as I can remember, will not be opening it's doors after all of this. I will always know Slim's as one of the city's punk venues: dark, grimy and loud. Big signs warning of no stage diving or crowd surfing allowed even though they never stopped anyone from doing so if it was the right kind of show. It was the first and last venue to confiscate my fake ID.
I saw a lot of shows there over the years. From longtime favorite local punk bands like The Matches to Crazy Town (Crazy Town! Sugar! Baby!) to covering Moonalice and Mac Sabbath when they headlined there and seeing friend's bands play there.
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photo by Nikki DeMartini
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Michael Pettett of Bonnie and the Bang Bang @ Slim's 6/27/2014
photo by Marc Fong
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It's hard to believe that the last show I saw there was almost one year ago. Grandson on April 3rd, 2019 is the last show I will have ever seen at Slim's. I'm pretty sure it was a sold-out show. I remember fans being rowdy up front so I opted to hang out in the back. My friend who's a photographer had to fend for himself during the set as there was no photo pit. It was really loud and I had forgotten my ear plugs as I always do (did?). Coincidentally, Grandson also played the last music festival I worked right before every fest got postponed.
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Grandson @ Slim's 4/3/2019
photo by Nikki DeMartini
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Grandson @ Slim's 4/3/2019
photo by Marc Fong
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My heart goes out to the Slim's family, all of the staff there, all of the people who grew up going to shows there and also to everyone who never got to experience seeing a show there. I fear that Slim's will not be the only music venue that can't survive this pandemic we're all facing. If you have the means to help click here for a list of venues in San Francisco that need it. You can do it from home.
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