November 29th, 2007
Yoshi’s Opens with a Bang
I (and about 800 others) attended the public opening of the new Yoshi’s in San Francisco’s Fillmore district last night, and I must say the place completely lives up to the hype. I’m actually covering the club’s opening for an upcoming issue of Down Beat magazine, so I can’t go into too much, but here are some personal impressions:
First and foremost, the building is spectacular. Although not quite complete as of opening night, with the restaurant opening on December 1 and much of the lobby area still a work in progress, the space is vast and elegant. It reflects the sense of the Jack London Square location but expands on it exponentially: bigger, brighter, better, more modern. The only thing I can really compare it to is Jazz at Lincoln Center, in terms of elegance and modernism.
I had parked in the building’s on-site garage, a public facility that, in typical San Francisco fashion, was tight and tricky to navigate. Taxi or public transit might be a better bet, especially given the $12 flat rate for evening parking and lack of spaces on the nearby streets.
There are several lounge/bar areas off the lobby, each with its own spin on the atmosphere. One lounge in the mezzanine looks out over the restaurant and features a video monitor of the stage. Another is light and airy with raised tables and tall chairs. I took a peek at the restaurant, which is spacious and full of clean lines. The kitchen (actually three separate kitchens!) is open to the dining area—it’s so huge and well-apportioned, I can see why they’d want to show it off. There were a lot of staff around, most of whom seemed genuinely friendly and happy to help.
Which brings me to the music venue itself, which was also a knockout despite some opening-night growing pains. Getting in was a problem. In addition to a very late start (the second set, scheduled for 10:00, actually kicked off at about 10:45), the lines were a confused jumble at first, with will call, restrooms and the club entrance all directly adjacent to each other. Inside, the floor was jam-packed with people, tables and chairs. The seats are larger and much more comfortable than in Oakland, but also crammed into each other in a way that makes seating (and serving) a real challenge. I saw several near-collisions between wait staff, and it took an awfully long time to get a drink order in, but I imagine they’ll get it all down to a science pretty soon.
From my banquette seat, halfway back on the main floor, the room somehow seemed both cavernous and cozy—the ceiling is dazzlingly high, but no seat is more than a stone’s throw from the stage (no, I did not test this). I doubt if there’s a bad sightline in the house—I could see the artists just fine despite sitting behind someone taller than myself.
Roy Haynes led an all-star band through a fun, freewheeling set that went well past midnight. The band—which included Ravi Coltrane, Gary Burton, Kenny Garrett, Nicholas Payton, David Kikoski and John Patitucci—took its time with each tune, playing with swing and polish. The sound system was remarkably transparent. Mid-set, Haynes stopped the proceedings for about 20 minutes while he and his bandmates each took time to speak about the club and the joy of working together. Haynes also took the opportunity to rib the club for the previous night’s performance, an invitation-only gala for the local swells. “I had to put up with mayors and all that political shit,” he said. “But now I get to play for you [jazz fans].” And the fans got to hear a worthy performance on a grand evening.
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