Fillmore   

Music promoter Bill Graham is the man generally credited with making the Fillmore the San Francisco rock institution that it is today. In the '60s, Graham brought Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and other influential rock bands here, making the Fillmore home base for the San Francisco psychedelic-rock scene. After a several-year hiatus in the '80s, the Fillmore emerged as one of San Francisco's most prominent hosts for touring acts. The dark, cavernous space is mostly standing (or dancing) room only, with a few, highly coveted cocktail tables on the upstairs balcony. The heavy curtains, candelabras and red tones of the interior give it an intimate ambience. You can see the acts fairly well from any point, but bring earplugs in case you end up next to a speaker. When you enter, stop to admire the scores of psychedelic rock posters adorning the walls. And, feel free to grab an apple from the barrel in the foyer, which has been a Fillmore tradition since it opened.