The Independent

This is a great medium-sized venue in San Francisco. The location has been home to other music venues over the years. For the past few years it has been The Independent and it's run by Another Planet Entertainment, purveyors of some of the best concerts and festivals in the Bay Area. It features a variety of genres and the crowd on any particular night reflects the kind of music that's being performed.

All of the shows are 21+ which means there aren't any restricted bar areas. There is a bit of seating on the side but it's mostly just an open space. Nothing fancy. There is also a balcony upstairs which is nice to go up to if you know people in the know. There is usually plenty of space to dance, but my friend told me that for non-dance music concerts they set up tables and chairs. The stage is raised high enough so that short people like me can see the stage, even from further back provided some really tall person doesn't stand in front of me. It's not small but not too big for people who appreciate intimate venues.