Cate Le Bon brings her idiosyncratic art pop to The Fillmore on Friday at 8 pm. The Welsh songwriter shapes crooked guitar lines, rubbery bass, and keys into songs that feel both sparse and slyly ornate. Her surreal lyric turns and off-kilter melodies hit harder live, where a locked-in band lets the rhythms breathe and then snap. From Reward to Pompeii, the pivot from brittle post-punk to woozy psych is her lane, and this room gives that sound widescreen space.

The Fillmore is San Francisco’s storied ballroom in the Western Addition, with chandeliers overhead, a generous sprung dance floor, and a balcony that wraps the room. The sound is clean and full, especially for guitar-heavy sets, and sightlines hold up even from the back bar. The posters on the walls tell the history, but the vibe stays present tense and sociable.

Frak turns The Independent into a live cipher for his Four Square release party Friday at 9 pm. The Bay Area MC built this mixtape on four-bar volleys, and he is bringing the format onstage with Nef the Pharaoh, 1100 Himself, Stunnaman02, and more. Expect sharp handoffs, crowd-fed freestyles, and quick comedic breaks that keep the energy loose. It plays like a rap game show and a block party in one, rooted in regional styles and thick with punchlines.

The Independent is the Divisadero corridor’s 500-cap workhorse, a black box with crisp sound and fast turnover between acts. The floor is wide, sightlines are clean even off to the sides, and the bar runs quick. Staff keeps sets on time and the lighting crew knows how to dial in hip hop and electronic shows so the room feels intimate without losing punch.

Ann Hampton Callaway brings Here’s To Life to Feinstein’s at the Nikko on Saturday at 8 pm, leaning into the Great American Songbook with the ease of a master. The Tony-nominated vocalist shapes Arlen, Porter, Rodgers, and the Bergmans with round tone, conversational phrasing, and elegant swing, then slips in her own smart originals. She connects a cabaret room in that old-school way, balancing warmth, wit, and sheer vocal control.

Feinstein’s at the Nikko is a true cabaret, tucked inside Hotel Nikko near Union Square. It is a seated room with a low stage, plush banquettes, and cocktails that actually suit the music. The acoustics are tight enough to hear breath and nuance, and service is attentive without breaking the spell. Jazz, Broadway, and classic pop vocalists thrive in this intimate space.

The Independent turns local on Saturday at 9 pm with a DJ lineup built for a loose, late dance floor. Baghead, snake tits, discnogirl, and DJ Juanny run through a Bay-leaning blend of hip hop edits, house, and left-field club cuts. It is the kind of night where selectors trade short, high-energy sets and dig into unexpected transitions, more party than showcase, with the room tuned for movement and sweat.

On Divisadero, The Independent functions like the city’s living room for mid-sized shows. The system hits warm and heavy without mud, and the booth has the angles to work a crowd. There is space to roam up front or hang on the side risers, and the staff keeps the night flowing. It is reliable for dance-centric bills that run late.

Brian McKnight brings that polished R&B tenor to Oakland’s Henry J. Kaiser Center on Friday at 8 pm. Three decades in, he still glides between piano-led ballads and grown-and-sexy midtempo grooves, stacking harmonies with the ease known from Back at One and Anytime. Expect a tight band, clean arrangements, and the kind of between-song patter that turns a theatre set into a conversation.

The Calvin Simmons Theatre inside the Kaiser Center is a restored proscenium room by Lake Merritt, about 1,500 seats with plush sightlines and classic detailing. It is built for voices, with natural warmth that flatters R&B and jazz. It is a short walk from BART, with on-site and nearby parking, and the lobby flow keeps entry smooth even on sellout nights.

GEMS throws a 2000s party at Crybaby on Friday at 10 pm, steered by Jaymeebaaby, Lexapeel, and Nate Rioz. Think Nelly to Ne-Yo, bloghouse to snap, with quick cuts and sing-along hooks that keep the floor loud. It is less about crate-digging and more about shared memory, all delivered on a system that handles low-end pop with ease and leaves room for the crowd to carry choruses.

Crybaby sits in Uptown Oakland with a big wood dance floor, a sparkling light rig, and a friendly door and bar crew. The room runs late, the booth is up close, and there is a breezy patio for catching breath between sets. Programming skews across hip hop, reggaeton, R&B, indie dance, and funky left turns, always aimed at bodies in motion.

Desmadre goes Cumbia vs Bachata on Saturday at 10 pm, pulling in DJ Luchita from Y La Bamba alongside Mare E. Fresh and Earth Angel. The night moves from classic cumbia swing to bachata guitar shimmer, with detours into reggaeton and dembow when the floor calls for it. It is a sweaty, social dance session, built around hand percussion, syncopated claps, and bass that carries the room.

At Crybaby, Latin dance nights feel right. The sound is punchy without harsh highs, and the floor has room for partners and big crews. Staff keeps the pace friendly, the lights stay warm, and the patio becomes its own scene. The Uptown location makes pre-show eats and late-night snacks an easy add.

ESG with Bush Tetras at Great American Music Hall on Friday at 7:30 pm is a post-punk history lesson that still hits the body. ESG’s minimal funk and handclap grooves have been sampled for decades, while Bush Tetras bring serrated guitars and downtown swagger. Together they lock into taut rhythms and no-BS songs that feel urgent in a room tuned to let drums and bass breathe.

Great American Music Hall is the ornate heart of SF’s small venues, all gold leaf, balconies, and mirrors, with a tidy 600-cap floor. The sound crew knows how to give space to jagged guitars and tight drums, and sightlines are strong from the rail to the back tables. It is a beautiful room that stays practical for loud bands.

Brick and Mortar hosts a Bay rap bill Friday at 9 pm with Danny Ali, Solus The Happy Human, Darilo, and Yoni. Expect melodic flows, gritty cloud textures, and quick-turn sets that keep the energy up. It is a developing-artist lineup that plays to the strengths of the room: close quarters, hot monitors, and a crowd that shows up for local voices and new material.

Brick and Mortar sits on Mission Street with a low stage, concrete floors, and a PA that hits harder than the size suggests. Capacity hovers a few hundred, so the front fills fast and the back bar stays busy. Sightlines are clean if you hug stage left, and the staff keeps changeovers tight. It is a reliable launchpad for Bay hip hop and indie.

The SF Sketchfest Dozen brings a concentrated hit of stand-up discovery to Punch Line on Friday at 7 pm. The showcase format stacks sharp comics back to back, each with enough time to land a point of view without dragging the pace. The festival curates this one tightly, so the batting average stays high and the tone swings from dry to unhinged in the best way.

Punch Line is the city’s classic brick-wall club near the Financial District, intimate, low-ceilinged, and tuned for comedy timing. The room seats a couple hundred, servers move quietly, and the back rows still feel close. Comics like working here because the crowd is smart and the sound is honest.