Crushed bring their widescreen dream pop to Cafe Du Nord on Friday at 9 pm. The duo of Bre Morell and Shaun Durkan (formerly of Weekend) lean into trip-hop textures, Britpop-sized hooks, and gauzy guitars that bloom into big, emotional choruses. Their recordings are meticulous and glossy, but live they push the low end harder and let the feedback breathe. 16 Underground and r. image set the mood with complementary, nocturnal pop and shadowy electronics.

Cafe Du Nord is the vintage basement under the Swedish American Hall on Market, a red-lit room built for intimate sets and swooning guitars. Capacity sits a few hundred, with a low stage, wraparound bar, and sightlines that reward getting in early. The sound is tuned warm and detailed, perfect for synths and breathy vocals, and the staff keeps sets moving on time. It is a staple stop for indie acts swinging through the city.

Ray Volpe hits Bill Graham Civic on Saturday at 7:30 pm with the kind of chest-rattling dubstep that made his festival slots unavoidable. He threads sawtooth drops with bright, melodic breaks and keeps the energy spiking without losing groove. Breakout singles turned rail riders into true believers, and his recent sets land between maximal bass and clean, punchy sound design. Expect an 18+ throwdown built for a big room.

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium sits in Civic Center and remains the city's big-room workhorse, a cavernous hall with a massive floor and wraparound balcony. The in-house rig handles bass-heavy shows with ease, and production teams go big with lasers and LED walls. It is general admission, so the rail fills early, but there is plenty of space to move mid-floor or climb upstairs for a wide, airy view.

Earlybirds Club turns The Independent into an early-evening showcase on Friday at 6 pm. The collective focuses on bright, guitar-forward indie and jangly pop, with a community streak that keeps things loose and welcoming. This one sends 10 percent of proceeds to The Women's Building, which fits the project's ethic of tying local music to local causes. Expect concise sets, shared backline, and a friendly handoff between bands.

The Independent anchors the Divisadero corridor, a 500-cap room with clean sightlines, dialed-in sound, and the no-drama efficiency of a veteran crew. The stage sits low enough to feel close while still carrying weight, and the balcony nook gives a relaxed view. It books touring indies alongside Bay Area staples, and early start times like this mean the room clears for a late show after a sharp, on-time run.

R'N'RG packs the upstairs room with a stacked local bill: Fever, Here At The End, Pain Scale, Armed And Dangerous, and Etch. This is the Richmond's brand of heavy, where metalcore edges into punk grit and alt-thrash, and the tempos swing from stomp to sprint. Doors at 6 pm, music at 7, all ages, and the energy stays raw and close-up. Five bands in one night means tight changeovers and plenty of quick-hit sets.

Neck of the Woods sits on Clement Street with two distinct spaces. Upstairs is the wood-paneled rock box, low ceiling, pushed PA, and a small stage that turns crowds into the sixth member of the band. It fits a couple hundred and feels built for mosh lines and sweaty singalongs. Downstairs is a lounge with its own bar and DJ booth, so the building often hosts two scenes at once without bleeding sound.

FlipABeatClub's WAV Forum returns for 4th Fridays, hosted by BornHistorian and Soulloops, with sets from Mahtie Bush, Kojin, Crates, and Asteriso Beats. It is a producer-forward night where beatmakers test new chops on a club system, rappers jump in when it feels right, and the tempo lives between boom-bap head nod and modern bounce. Downstairs doors at 8 pm, 21+, and the vibe leans collaborative over competitive.

Neck of the Woods' downstairs room is the venue's DJ-friendly half, with a tight dance floor, separate bar, and lighting rig that keeps the focus on the booth. It is a neighborhood hang on Clement Street, so regulars mix with visiting crews, and the staff lets the music breathe. The walls are thick enough that upstairs bands and downstairs sets can run in parallel without stepping on each other.

Baby Slaps flips the script with a Rap vs Dembow edition, stacking hip-hop and reggaeton for a back-to-back DJ night. Bay radio mainstay Chuy Gomez joins Jafin and Cocoa Crescendo, leaning into crowd-pleasing flips, fast riddims, and singalongs that glide from Bay slaps to Caribbean heat. Free entry for the first 25 with RSVP adds a nice twist. Music starts at 10 pm and runs until the lights pop on.

Crybaby is downtown Oakland's neon-lit dance room, a refreshed art deco space with a wide floor, quick bar lines, and a balcony that doubles as a breather. The system is tuned bright and bass-true, so rap and Latin club nights land with real weight. It draws a friendly, mixed crowd from across the Bay, and being a block from 19th Street BART makes late-night exits straightforward even after a long set.

Sinister Sounds lines up a six-band blowout upstairs with Vesseles, Viscelator, Posthuman, Bazaliel, Post Heaven, and Tehmodhjin. Expect the darker corners of the heavy spectrum, from riff-forward post-metal to industrial-charged sludge and blackened textures. Doors at 6 pm, music at 7, 21+, and the pacing is brisk, with each act carving out a sharp, focused set. It is a tight, community-heavy bill built for headbangers.

Upstairs at Neck of the Woods is a compact room that rewards volume. The PA hits hard without getting harsh, the sightlines are clean from the lip to the back rail, and the bar tucked to the side keeps the floor clear. On heavier nights security is present but unobtrusive, and the stage is just high enough to keep the pit contained while still letting bands meet the front row face to face.

Afrobashment turns Saturday into an international dance rotation, with Tie Dye, Veyn, and Doc Limo threading afrobeats, dancehall, soca, reggaeton, and hip-hop into a fast, sunny mix. It is less about headliners than the blend, the kind of sequencing that keeps bodies moving in waves until last call. Doors and music at 10 pm, 21+, and the room tends to hit full stride by midnight.

Crybaby's sound and sightlines are built for nights like this. The main floor is roomy but intimate, and the mezzanine offers a perfect vantage for watching the DJ steer the crowd. Staff keep the turnover smooth, there is water at the bar without hassle, and the room handles low-end heavy genres cleanly. It anchors a cluster of late-night spots downtown, which keeps the energy rolling outside too.

INZO brings a melodic bass set to The Regency Ballroom on Friday at 8 pm, balancing glittering synth leads, hip-hop swing, and left-field sound design. His tracks move from airy, cinematic builds to drum-forward drops, and he tends to thread in clever edits that keep the momentum tight. The show is 18 and over, a sweet spot for a producer who plays big rooms without sacrificing nuance.

The Regency Ballroom is a Beaux-Arts theater on Sutter with a wraparound balcony, tall proscenium, and a floor that holds well over a thousand. The sound crew keeps bass articulate and highs crisp, even at peak volume, and the balcony mixes offer strong sightlines if you want some space. It is a classic TenderNob stop for touring electronic and indie acts, with quick changeovers and clear room flow.

SF Sketchfest hosts Why Are You Single? with Marie Faustin and Dave Mizzoni at Cobb's on Friday at 7 pm. The New York comics built the show on sharp banter and playful crowd work, ping-ponging between dating tales and off-the-cuff tags that keep the pace brisk. They know how to read a room, and the format gives them room to riff while still landing clean punchlines.

Cobb's Comedy Club anchors North Beach comedy with a classic brick-and-wood room, seated tables, and a low ceiling that traps laughter in the best way. Sightlines are clean across the wide stage, the servers move quietly, and the sound is tuned for voices rather than thump. It is a reliable home base for Sketchfest every January, with a calendar that mixes national acts and local killers.