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Photo: Greg Roden |
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Having two big cities so close to one another yet so completely different does invite comparison, however tired the debate may be. But when the subject is music, it’s useful to think of both places as one big town separated by a bridge. Sure, both have fostered their own revolutions, be it the Summer of Love scene in SF or the soul and blues scene here. But these days, each city influences the other, with musicians and artists traipsing back and forth over the bridge when the rent gets too high in any one place. After the dotcom boom sent SF rent sky-high, entire bands moved to Oakland and began to mingle with an already lively hip-hop scene.The result has done wonders for Oakland’s live-music roster.
There are differences between both places. In San Francisco, music venues are more destinations in and of themselves. People buy tickets ahead of time and go out to see certain bands perform in clubs whose sole purpose is to put on a show. Many venues in SF make the musicians agree not to play anywhere in the vicinity before or after their scheduled show to assure the highest possible sales.
Over here, however, live music is more of an afterthought. It’s a calculated way for bar-owners to draw more people into their businesses.There are no hardcore promoters defining preor post-show performance etiquette to drive maximum ticket sales.
This music-as-business-generator model in Oakland is actually a great thing.You can (almost) always get into see a show. You will be able to sit down at a table and have a straight shot to the bar.You will be able to carry on a conversation while the music is playing. And you won’t have to deal with traffic on the bridge on the way home.
Here’s more good news about Oaktown: If you like a good DJ, a swinging salsa band, underground hip-hop or up-and-coming indie rock bands, your eagle has landed.What’s more, several venues that have been around for awhile are seeing resurgence in business, helped in part by an influx of music lovers and musicians.
One such place is La Estrellita Café and Bar, or “the little star,” on East 12th Street, a joint that definitely lives up to its name. It sits comfortably on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 12th, an amber glow pouring out and onto the tree-lined sidewalk. It’s near the foot of Lake Merritt, just a block over from the bustle of International Boulevard. This is the section of Oakland known as the Eastlake District, where Chinatown blends into the predominantly Hispanic and Vietnamese neighborhood. The club has two entrances, one to the bar area and one to the restaurant, which serves all-organic Mexican food.
“My parents have owned this place since 1964,” says Jose Macias, who now runs the establishment. “I am very proud of what we have here.” Macias took the reins 12 years ago and has made many additions, the biggest of which was an all-new remodeled outside, care of the city of Oakland’s façade grant program. Glass bricks flank the door to the club, and attractive cream and maroon tile abuts the sliding-glass, open-air windows. The ambience and word-of-mouth publicity have made this venue a weekend hotspot for Oaklanders looking for a place to dance, drink and eat tamales.
But La Estrellita also has slowly been building a reputation for its live music. Everything from Cuban son to salsa to Latin hip-hop has been performed here, and it is one of the best places to go dancing in the city. On any given weekend, you can hear groups like house band La Familia playing Afro-Cuban son music or Latin jazz with Tiempo Latino, The Venezualen Music Project or various touring musicians. In between sets, house spinner DJ Cezanne mixes funky Latin and salsa beats.When the scene really gets going, dancers, musicians and employees all sway and sweat into the early morning. Cinco de Mayo was especially off the hook, with Martin Franco Y La Rebellion performing every style, from merengue to cumbia, to a packed house.
The bar is cozy, which is an interesting feat for a place with such high ceilings. Beer signs and sports posters jockey with Mexican artwork for the customer’s attention, but real lounge aficionados will note the 158 different kinds of tequila available.
The music may be Latin, but Macias wants to make it very clear that all kinds of people party at La Estrellita.“We are committed to being diverse and always have been,” he says.“Anglos,African Americans, Vietnamese, everyone in the neighborhood spends time here.” Unfortunately, the Latin music scene in Oakland has mainly existed under the radar of non-Hispanic residents. Many of the music clubs that feature popular Latin acts don’t even advertise. La Estrellita is one of the first of its kind to be an authentic Latin club that hosts a diverse crowd of revelers. In addition to an open-door policy, Macias is also committed to keeping his club a “green” business, meaning one that recycles, uses organic foods and generally adheres to sustainable-living philosophies. Most importantly, the kitchen stays open until midnight on the weekends so that you can refuel after a vigorous round of salsa dancing.
Another place that has slowly built a strong following is Club Oasis, also on 12th Street, but closer to downtown. It, too, is a restaurant by day, serving Ethiopian fare, but at night it turns into an open-air, backyard rave that well-known Oakland DJ Joe Quixx refers to as “bangin’.”
Oasis has been there for 11 years, but only in the last five has it become a destination for people outside of the African music scene.The draw here is still mostly African bands and reggae music, but hip-hop, rock and soul acts have all performed as well. “It’s the best outdoor club in the East Bay,” continues Quixx, who has performed there several times over the last couple of years.“The sound system is incredible.”
Everyone—from Jah Warrior to Beatsauce, not to mention Senegalese, Caribbean and Congolese bands—has played here.
The place looks like a college kid’s patio, with thrift store couches, mixmatched chairs and potted ferns here and there. But therein lies its charm: It’s funky, comfy, grubby and screams, “Let’s party!” A mural of a beach hugs the perimeter, and a long bar shoots out of one corner.A stage occupies a corner, but DJs and musicians have been known to set up anywhere they feel like it, lending even more of a backyard party feel.
The key to Club Oasis, if you haven’t already guessed, is that it isn’t trying too hard. It’s a no-frills place for people who love music to dance to and beer, and it’s amazing that it has taken Oakland this long to figure out something like this. Let’s face it, a lot of us like casual places with laid-back vibes.With its sofa seating and interesting weekly lineup of entertainment, it’s the Parkway Theater of music clubs, and people love it.
The most recently updated club in Oakland is The Golden Bull on 14th Street near Broadway. About a year ago, almost overnight, this dark dive-bar became the new spot that Oakland hipsters were name-dropping. “Dude, I’ll see you at the Bull,” was on the lips of all those same people who put the Ruby Room and Radio on the map a few years before.
And nobody seems to know or care who is behind the “new” spot. When a bartender at nearby Café Van Kleef was questioned about the origins, she thought some young hipsters snatched up The Golden Bull for cheap and then proceeded to “coolify” it by installing red lighting and some Buddha statues. Others, like bar regular Maria Mattson, thought the same thing.“No one knows who is running it,” she laughs. “But I don’t really care.
Well, here’s the real scoop.The Golden Bull has existed as a neighborhood dive for years but was re-energized a year ago when the club owner’s son, Jamal Perry— cool but in no way a white-belt hipster—took over management of the place. He refurbished the sign outside, making it eye-catching and retro, and set about getting the word out by hosting some really cool bands like Greenlight the Bombers and well-known hip-hop performers like Prozack.
By day, it’s the same blend of somewhat scruffy regulars and nearby professionals. By night, DJs and local punk, metal and grindcore bands take over the place and have ignited a lively following. Like the Oasis, the Bull has a great sound system, especially considering its small size. But people would come here to see bands even if the sound was crappy.The bottom line is, with all the noise ordinances in Oakland, there are very few places that can get this loud.The Bull and the Stork Club are about it—good news for all the “rawk” bands that Oakland houses that have, heretofore, had no place to perform.
All three of these places have one thing in common: They have added music to increase foot traffic to their establishments. In doing so, they have created some great microcosms of music where the ambiance is casual, the bands are talented and the beer is cold … That’s all you really need to have a successful club.
THE DETAILS:
LA ESTRELLITA CAFÉ AND BAR, 446 E. 12th St., (510) 465-7188
CLUB OASIS, 135 12th St., (510) 763-0404
THE GOLDEN BULL, 412 14th St., (510) 893-0803
