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924 Gilman Street showcasing metal acts
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Gilman Street at its finest.
Around the Bay venues like the Filmore and the Warfield are well-known and well-loved. Newly revamped Fox Theater and upbeat club Slims have a reputation nowadays for bringing in the best new bands in metal. But hidden in the region of North Berkeley is a club that helped give birth to metal, punk, and other bands.
924 Gilman Street, also known as the Alternative Music Foundation, is a rare non-profit music club that provides a no-smoking, no-alcohol, no-violence environment. It's straightedge motto also applies to their booking: they will not showcase bands that are racist, misogynist, or homophobic.
In the metal community around San Francisco, Gilman isn't really a name that's thrown around. The venue is well-known showcasing Green Day in their very early days, as well as The Offspring, Fugazi, AFI, Jawbreaker and NOFX. However, after some research, I found Oakland post-metal boys Neurosis had one of their first gigs at the Gilman, and have gone on to create some wonderful music.
Recently some of the bands that are being showcased at the Gilman are of the metal variety. It's encouraging to those in the metal community to see an old venue, with such history of helping out low-key bands getting their start, now showcase some metal bands. On June 13th, thrash metal and punk-metal bands will be at the Gilman. The headliner that night will be Warbringer, one of my personal favorite bands.
So for those in the San Francisco Bay Area, go check out acts at the Gilman. Even if punk is not your scene, and maybe there aren't enough metal bands for your taste, there are a lot of great promising acts that come through the Gilman's doors. Who knows what next great act will be showcased at this venue.
